Multi-verse Theories: No Smoke, No Fire
by LoreilDarksky00
Summary: Another collection of older WIP. These ones do not focus on Ash if he shows up at all. These ones are less likely to be updated any time soon but still worth sharing. 5 - Fang and Claw. She had no idea why she'd been brought to this world after her less-than-peaceful death, but she was managing it. Really, she was. Then again, maybe it was for the best that Hop couldn't be told no.
1. Build a Castle From the Rubble - Ch 1

"W-wait, you're really giving this to me?"

Nick quirked an eyebrow, a lopsided smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah, you goof, I _told _I would for helping me study, didn't I? My parents bought me a new 2DS as a reward for ranking first on the exams. And you know I have doubles of all the games, this is the copy I didn't even touch except to put it in that case for you. Just take it, Josie."

"I… thanks, Nick." Josie slowly accepted the offered electronic, running a finger down the cartridge of Pokemon X, a slow smile spreading across her face. Even though it was a generation behind the most current, she didn't care. Pokemon, as a franchise, was one of the best things life had to offer Josie Garret. "I know it's 'cause you upgraded, but it means a lot."

"I know." He ruffled her long curls, brown eyes soft, before urging her to get a file started. It was a free period, so she had zero protests, eagerly powering up the cobalt blue 3DS after inserting the game. Nick leaned against her shoulder, taking out his new 2DS so they could play together.

Some of their peers thought they were either dating or that Josie was 'only friends for his money', sometimes both, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. They'd first met as children; Josie had begged the head matron to let her walk down to the nearby shopping center, to the Game Stop that was hosting a release party for the newest Pokemon game. She couldn't afford to buy it, didn't even have a system to play on, but she was hopeful that somebody would let her watch _them_ play, or that she'd get a chance to play an in-store demo.

It was there that she'd accidentally bumped into Nick, who brushed it off and asked her what she thought about the new game. After hearing how she was only there to watch, he pulled her aside and angled his screen so she could watch him start his own copy. They bonded over their shared love for the franchise, and had been friends ever since. Only Nick knew that she was a ward of the state, had been since she was a baby.

That may have been a huge reason she loved the Pokemon games; the player had at least one parent that loved and supported them, while she had none. She longingly watched the characters in the TV show interact with their parents, one of the only shows the matron let the orphans watch.

Immersing herself in the game, she kept going back to Vaniville Town to visit her in-game mother. She couldn't help herself. The concept of parents was just so foreign to her, and she wanted nothing more than to have them, to be cared about instead of abandoned.

That night, she stayed up late to keep playing the game under her blanket. Starting with her trusty Fennekin, she built a team of her new game favorites; a Scatterbug that became a lovely Vivillon (she wished Pokemon were real, she was dying to bury her hands in the white fur of a Spewpa), a Ralts that became an elegant Gardevoir, a Helioptile she then evolved into a Heliolisk, an Eevee she'd yet to evolve, and a Sneasel she was trying to get a Razor Claw for. Her secondary team was the rest of her favorites; a Shinx, a Noibat, an Espurr, a Swablu, and a Dratini she got in a Wonder Trade.

Josie hadn't caught that many Pokemon yet, but she was waiting until she finished the main plot to go back and complete the PokeDex and do all the little side-quests. Josie was absolutely in love with the Kalos region, having adored it ever since the XY season of the show first aired. Unable to stop herself, she imagined how even she, an orphan with nothing to her name, could go out and travel, earning money by doing something she loved.

She was sure training a real Pokemon, had they existed, wouldn't be as easy as the show or games made it out to be, but she was a fast learner and quick to find the most efficient solutions to her problems. That was the only thing Josie had going for her, really, being an orphan and all. That was the only thing she'd been able to offer Nick to get this 3DS, too, study help because high grades were all she could accomplish, that she _had_ to if she ever wanted to get scholarships to pay for college.

Shoving those thoughts down, she occupied herself with the Pokemon-Amie feature, not even regretting it when she realized that it was sunrise, and she had to get ready for school. She couldn't wait to share her progress with Nick, the thought carrying her through the morning till their first shared class despite the weariness making her eyes ache and her mind sluggish.

Walking into the classroom, she slowed when she took in the dark, grim atmosphere, glancing around at several crying classmates. Gripping her bag strap, she shuffled over to Mr. Ensworth. He looked exhausted.

"What happened?" She asked quietly.

He hesitated when he met her confused and concerned gaze, exhaling slowly and running a hand down his face. "Miss Garret… it pains me to have to be the one to tell you this, but since you clearly haven't heard… It's Nick. There was a car accident, last night. He's… he passed away early this morning. I'm sorry."

_Nick's… gone?_

That… that couldn't be right. Nick was too vibrant, too good to just not come in. He never even got sick! He was always there, always early and waiting for her so they could sit together, so…

"He what…?" Josie felt faint, and swallowed thickly, feeling distant and strange, like her world had suddenly lost color and been enshrouded with invisible, wet cotton. The ground shifted beneath her, no longer the steady surface she always used to bounce that tennis ball Nick always kept in his backpack at his shoes. Nothing felt real. Nothing could be real, if Nick was…

"－osie? Miss Garret…? Oi, Smith, get the nur－"

XxXxX

It was one thing to long for something that you've never had, Josie realized, but another entirely to long for something you will never get back.

Time ceased to matter, _everything _ceased to matter. What was the point? The only person who had ever cared about her as a person, as a friend, was gone. The one person who she had considered 'family' was gone. She'd gone to Nick's funeral in a daze, so shattered and out of it that she barely recognized the body in the casket at her Nick. He was too still, too pale, and it took everything she had to lift her shaking hands and tuck the paper Gracidea flower she'd made into his stiff grip.

His skin was cold.

She couldn't stay to watch them lower him into the grave, unable to bear the finality of the action. She went back to the orphanage she lived in and curled up in the corner of the empty storage closet hardly anyone knew about, tucked in the back corner of the kitchen. In the silence, she could hear her own heartbeat, and for a long moment hated it with a burning, twisted, overpowering rage and guilt, only her tears feeling hotter on her face.

Nick's last gift to her felt heavy in her hoodie pocket. Stiffly pulling out the 3DS, she ran her fingers over the plastic surface, unable to see in the darkness. This was the only physical proof she had of Nick's existence. Feeling lost and still unable to emotionally comprehend her loss, Josie flipped it open and powered it on, suddenly desperate to lose herself in the game, to forget everything else existed. To forget this horrible world that was now missing its most vital person.

The screen glowed bright white, far brighter than usual, and before she could even begin to figure out what was going on, the light enveloped her and flared. When it faded, she was gone.

No one would know of her disappearance for days, and when it was discovered, it was quickly labeled as a distraught teen running away from the death of her best friend. She was declared missing, likely dead, just a few months later.

XxXxX

'_Child… we heard your voice. We heard your wish. You have a strong heart, filled with love for our world, enough for us to hear you even far away as we are. We will give you a chance to move on, to make your own path. Take your new life, your new family, and your new partner… Enter the world of Pokemon and begin your own journey.'_

XxXxX

"－can't believe that _the_ Professor Rowan just gave you a Pokemon egg, he's never done that with anyone, not even his fellow researchers! He must have been really impressed with you, Josie," the feminine voice giggled, pulling Josie from the void. "I'm glad he did, though, I can't imagine the trouble it would have caused for Professor Sycamore for a new arrival to need a starter, when he has so many others scheduled already. Your cousin is going tomorrow, Grace said she's been planning it ever since she saw that boy on the news. She thinks he's the same one from Professor Oak's summer camp, all those years ago, isn't that funny? Maybe you girls can catch up with him! You were like three peas in a pod back then, attached at the hip!"

Confused, Josie's eyes fluttered open, the voice from her most recent memory of that great void echoing in her head. The familiar movement let her know she was in a car, and there was a weight on her lap. Glancing down, she froze as she saw a tube-like case with thick gray caps on each end, the tube itself revealing a large egg. The top half was a soft goldenrod color, with the bottom a dark, warm gray. Scattered across the surface were four small, cinnamon-colored four-pointed-star designs.

Josie's brain took a moment to put the pieces together, before it finally registered.

_Take your new life, your new family, your new partner._

Slowly, she turned in her seat to see the woman driving the car, brown curls and bright blue eyes looking eerily similar to the player's mother from Pokemon X and Y. To Grace, from the show.

Grace. Cousin. _Serena._

"Is this even real?" She blurted, eyes wide and voice tight. There was hope and shock and excitement and incredulity and even a little bit of fear.

The woman _laughed_. "You've been asking me that since I told you we were moving to Kalos! You asked it when we left Sinnoh, on the boat, and when we first got here. Of course it is, baby girl!" Her voice abruptly softened, and she glanced as Josie before focusing back on the road. "Josie… I know you've been having a hard time ever since Nick passed… but he would have wanted you to enjoy your life, you _know_ that. I talked to his mom, recently, you know he was planning on getting you an egg to raise? He wanted you to have these experiences! So please, baby girl, don't deny yourself this journey. As your mother I'm _begging _you, don't deny yourself this chance. If you need a reason, then do it for him. Do what he couldn't, in his memory."

She couldn't breathe. It felt like she'd been punched in the gut, the sudden reminder of Nick's death, that _he wasn't here anymore_. Even in this.. this dream, or on the slim chance this was real, the fact that he wasn't here with her _hurt_. But even with that threatening to drown her, her chest felt warm, too,

"Okay Mom," she said hoarsely, testing the word and latching onto the fact that right here and now she had a mother, trying to forget about Nick's absence, hating herself for feeling like she needed to. "I… I'll give it a shot."

"That's the spirit, baby girl, go for broke. Ah, and look! There's Vaniville Town, our new home! Oh, you haven't seen the house yet! We're right next door to Grace and Serena, the Yvonne clan is finally back together, this is so exciting! Don't you worry about getting our stuff inside, the moving company is gonna put your boxes in your new room. You can just go see Serena, I know it's been years since you last saw each other."

"Right," Josie agreed hesitantly. She didn't know what was going on, but that voice, that she heard before 'waking up'… This was practically everything she'd ever wished for. Almost everything. Even though Nick wasn't with her… did she even have it in her to deny herself the chance to enjoy this? Even if she woke up back in the storage closet, right here and right now she was in the world she and Nick had both loved for so long.

Her new mother's words rang in her head. _Do it for him._

That wouldn't be so bad, would it? If there was anything she could do in his memory that would make him happy, it would be a Pokemon journey, even just in a hyper-realistic dream. Shoving the nagging sense of guilt aside for the moment, she looked out the window at Vaniville Town. There were pretty vines on the houses and flowers _everywhere_. Everything seemed bright and a little washed out, but the vividness was bearable to her senses.

Hands tightening on the incubator in her lap, Josie took a few deep breaths to calm herself a bit. Something dug into her left wrist uncomfortably, and she felt her breath catch when she saw the familiar cobalt blue of the 3DS. Except instead of a game system, a sleek Xtransceiver was strapped to her wrist, a suspiciously Xerneas-shaped silhouette on the metal cover, with a black strap. She knew, with a surety that shocked her, that that Xtransceiver was the 3DS Nick had given her.

_He's still with me_.

A tiny smile pulled at her lips, and she hastily wiped away a few tears. After a moment's hesitation, she started fiddling with the device, exploring its features. The buttons on the side panels were easy to figure out, so she was soon scrolling through what seemed to be apps. She saw the video call option, normal call option, a contacts app, a camera function, a music app, was a bit surprised to see a map/GPS function, and what seemed to be something to sync the Xtransceiver with a PokeDex. It was a lot more diverse than the Unova seasons and game had displayed, that was for sure.

Just a few minutes after she'd finished messing with the device, they pulled into the driveway of a modest two-story townhouse, with a decently sized front yard where a pond took up almost a third of it. A little confused, Josie didn't comment, instead carefully picking up the incubator and stepping out of the car once it was off, eyeing what looked to be a large doghouse on the lawn of the house next to them. A moving truck pulled up behind them.

"So?" Her new mother spread her arms out expectantly. "What do you think?"

Taking a moment to compose herself, Josie offered the woman a smile. "It's nice, Mom. Is that… Serena's house?"

"Yep, I told you we were right next door! They'll be happy to see you, so go on over, I'll take care of the movers." With that, she jogged over to the large truck, and Josie took that as her cue to go meet her cousin and aunt.

A little nervous now, she crossed the lawn and approached the door, pausing when her eyes fell on the large Ryhorn snoozing just inside the little doghouse. Ryhorn house. Whatever they called it here. The leathery gray hide of the Pokemon reminded her of a mix between a rock, an elephant, a hippo, and an armadillo, with a visibly tough but smoother than expected texture. The Ryhorn snorted and shifted, muscles rippling beneath its hide, but didn't wake. Her lips pressed together in a thin line as she squared her shoulders and finished the walk to the door.

From what her new mother had said (she was still in shock, she was sure, suddenly gaining an actual family too much for her in addition to everything else), Serena was to head for Lumiose tomorrow. Everything indicated that she was in the world of the TV show, although following a Ruby and Sapphire-like opening of 'new trainer just moved in', just a couple episodes or less before Serena met up with Ash and joined his traveling group. The Kalos arc was in its very beginning stages, and she was… along for the ride, it seemed.

She shifted the incubator to one arm and knocked. Muffled voices could be heard before the door opened and Josie was face-to-face with Serena, and subsequently stunned to silence by how pretty her new cousin was. Animation had not done her justice, had downright sabotaged her, something that should be criminal.

Serena Yvonne was an angel, beautiful blue eyes and soft waves of gold falling gently over her shoulders. She had a heart-shaped face and a refined nose, an adorable smile and Josie could practically see the sparkles _radiating _off the girl. That's it. She was going to physically fight anybody who tried to insult Serena's appearance, because they were clearly willfully ignorant. Her new cousin was precious and would be protected at all costs.

"Josie!" Serena exclaimed, and oh, it wasn't the same voice from the English dub of the show, it was far closer to the original Japanese, just a little less high pitched. She was dragged from her thoughts and into a tight hug, just barely gathering herself in time to return it. "It's so good to see you, it's been too long. How was your trip?"

"Uh," Josie said intelligently. Instant physical contact was… new. Scrambling to figure out a reply, she let Serena guide her to a cozy living room. "It was long, I guess. I zoned out for most of it, I think, but it went well." At that moment, Grace entered the room, smiling when she saw them.

"I thought I saw Marie's car. Welcome to Kalos, Josie! Ah, is that the egg you got from Professor Rowan? Marie told me about it," she explained, seeing Josie's slight confusion and slightly misinterpreting it. Was this just a family thing, everybody knowing everything? And her new mother's name was Marie?

Still, Josie nodded, looking down at the egg. It wasn't familiar, having not been one of the ones shown in the TV show, but she guessed it really didn't matter. This egg… was _hers_. Her first Pokemon, first partner. Feeling a little excited at that, she followed her cousin to sit on the couch. "Yeah… I don't know what type of Pokemon it is, so I sort of just want it to hatch already. I really want to meet the Pokemon inside."

Her mind was beginning to settle a bit, absorbing her situation better. With her earlier decision to make the most of it for Nick's sake, she found herself adjusting better than she thought she might. She really did want the egg to hatch soon, to meet the first Pokemon she'd be able to actually hold and interact with.

With the coloring, maybe it was an electric type? It wasn't an Elekid, or Pichu, she knew that much, unless every single egg was unique in design and coloring. Was it native to Sinnoh or had Professor Rowan gotten it from somewhere else? From what she knew of the show, most eggs were pretty easy to guess what type of Pokemon was inside. She struggled to come up with a yellow and black or gray Pokemon with the same shades as the egg. Maybe a Joltik, or Helioptile? Or maybe a Mawile, or Emolga… come to think of it, Jangmo-o were also gray and yellow, weren't they? And Togedemaru.

"I can imagine," Grace nodded with a smile, her voice bringing Josie back to the present, going into the kitchen and speaking a bit louder when she was out of sight. "You've had it for a few months, right? It should be hatching soon, with all the time you've spent with it."

As if on cue, the egg glowed softly for a moment, the light fading as quick as it came. Serena squealed, sliding to the floor to get a better look, her lavender lounge outfit bunching up around her. "It glowed! Does that mean it's hatching?!"

"It means its close," Josie replied, fascinated. Seeing it on screen was one thing, but her heart honest-to… god or Arceus? In any case, her heart literally skipped a beat just then. "I think the glow means it's getting ready, but I don't know how long it will need to actually hatch. The glow shouldn't fade, when it's actually hatching, I know that much."

At that, Serena apparently decided that Josie clearly knew more about Pokemon then she did, and began to ask about them, and how to care for them. Not entirely sure on the specifics herself, Josie gave her vague but logical answers, and suggested they get some tips and maybe a book in Lumiose, once her cousin had confirmed in a conspiratory whisper that she was leaving to go there tomorrow morning.

Somehow, Josie made it through the rest of the afternoon and evening, finally entering her new home after a family dinner of Grace's delicious soup. Like Serena, she had gotten the upstairs bedroom, and her mother had unpacked what she assumed to be her clothes into the closet. There were only a handful of boxes, and curious as to what was inside them, she set the incubator on the desk and started 'unpacking' (she had no idea what was inside).

The first box was full of books and a few framed photos. Quickly putting the books on the shelves opposite the bed, although she set what looked like some trainer manuals and a Pokemon care guide on the desk, she picked up the pictures. The first was of a pale child that had ice blonde wavy hair with periwinkle eyes and her mother, at some kind of fair or festival. With a start, Josie realized that child might be _her_. Hurrying to the standing mirror, she took in her new appearance.

Her body and features were pretty much the same as she was used to, if several years younger, but her hair was now that near-white, not as curly as before, and her eyes that soft lavender tinted blue-gray. Her freckles remained, as did the thin scar going through her right eyebrow that she'd had for as long as she could remember. She was still wearing the skinny jeans, plain T-shirt, and sandals she'd had before she came to this world.

Letting out a mild "huh", she slowly went back to unpacking, ignoring the rest of the photos aside from one of that fateful camp, with 'her', Serena, and Ash, arms slung around each others shoulders. They looked to be about five or six in the photo, and Josie absently wondered how her existence fit into this world, while she obviously had no memories of this younger self there was proof here that some version of Josie had been around.

She set the photo on the nearby desk, then focused on putting away an assortment of toys, stuffed Pokemon dolls, and an entire box of accessories and bags. The last box had several small cases she decided to look at later, so she checked the closet. At least she didn't need to worry about her plain clothing standing out, as she had was looked like a fashion expert's collection of pretty yet sturdy clothing. Knowing that she was expected to go with Serena and start a journey, she tried to pick something out for the next morning.

Not liking the skirts, she searched the closet for leggings and shorts or pants, finding a black pair of athletic leggings and overall cutoffs just a shade bluer than her eyes. She then searched until she found a baseball tee with navy blue sleeves. More digging revealed doubles of the outfit, confirming the theory that trainers just bought or made travel clothes in bulk; she had six sets.

Hanging one set on the back of the desk chair, she folded the rest and stacked them on the bed. She pulled a teal hoodie off its hanger and dark gray boots with blue laces from a full shoe rack, setting them by the door before tidying up the mess she'd made in the search for practical clothes. Even if she only stayed one night in this room, she'd feel bad about making a mess.

That done, she stood in a pretty, cozy bedroom that felt tailored to her very soul, and tried not to cry. She didn't want this to be a dream. She was hoping so badly that this was real, that she was truly given the chance to have a Pokemon journey, to make memories that she could later tell Nick if there was an afterlife.

Shuddering slightly at the overwhelming emotions, Josie stared at the soft, cream-colored carpet and dug her toes into it. It felt real, higher quality than anything she'd ever felt before. Surely she couldn't dream something she had no true experience with, not with this amount of detail? With some hesitation, she brought her hand up to her upper arm and dug her nails in until they broke through the skin. The stinging pain forced a choked laugh out of her.

She'd never experienced physical pain in dreams before, and she'd never had a dream with this type of clarity. Her few dreams always had something off, something fuzzy about them, which made her give a little more faith to the idea that this was _real_. Shaking her head, she distracted herself once more by going through the last box. She would prefer to have everything ready if she woke up here in the morning.

The cases had what she was certain were potions and antidotes, a bunch of berries and a label that boasted the case kept them fresh for up to six months, and empty cases with adjustable storage spaces; in fact, the whole set looked like a kit, a trainer kit. There was one small box that had a single Luxury Ball, which she figured was for the Pokemon in her egg. At the bottom, that she hadn't dug to before, was a gray satchel, the tags still on it. Reading them revealed that it was one of the high-tech trainer bags, which similar technology to Pokeballs.

A look inside showed that there were many flexible box-like compartments lining the inside, with a metal ring and button that seemed to serve as a sort of 'gate' to each storage space. She organized her spare travel clothes by article of clothing and put them in the smallest compartments, all in a row and easily found, tapping each bundle to the inside button and watching in a daze as red light absorbed it. Underclothes, which she'd had to go back to the closet and hunt for, were tucked into a slightly smaller compartment just to the side of them. Curious, she tapped the button with her hand, and each bundle was 'released' into her grip. Amazed by the technology, and how much space she had left, she replaced the clothes and looked around for what else she should pack.

She eventually decided to pack a few 'nice' outfits; she was a girl with 'new' clothes, who could blame her? Never before had she had new clothes, with the sole exception of the near-annual hoodie that Nick gifted to her on her birthdays. The thought had her closing her eyes for a moment before frantically rifling through the clothing on the hangers again, almost sobbing in relief as she found each and every one tucked away between dresses and shirts. The purple one with a Gengar design, the Dratini-themed hoodie, and the extra cozy Pikachu themed one.

A flurry of soft whispered escaped her, thanking whatever brought her here for bringing them too. With great care, she folded each hoodie and tucked them safely into her bag, rubbing her eyes before once again calming herself and getting back on task. She needed to stick to a list before she found herself lost in the emotional turmoil again, and she honestly did not want to deal with anything right now. Instead she focused mindlessly on clothes, now a safe topic.

She didn't want to wear the same thing all the time. Her wardrobe had a lot of teals and blues, with some pastel greens and the occasional purple outfit. It took her a while to choose one fancy dress, one semi-casual, and one 'the accessories will decide what level of nice this is' outfit. It was easier to find some exercise clothes and lounge clothes, and then she grabbed some other shoes. She rather liked some of the high tops, ankle boots, and low heels she found in the closet. Into a compartment they went, along with some hats and bracelets.

It was around then that she realized she was supposed to be prepared for actual traveling and camping, so she dug around for winter gear, and also found a bedroll tucked into a shelf up top. With those added to her bag, the buttons briefly flashing red on the full compartments, she felt ready. And she still had about six totally empty compartments, the empty space like normal bags had, and the outer pouches that would probably end up holding a PokeDex or ID, and some spare Pokeballs.

"No wonder Ash was a mess when he first started," she mused out loud, tired from just packing and thinking about all she needed. And she didn't even have a tent or cooking supplies. She should probably investigate what kind of food options there were for camping… Putting her bag next to tomorrow's outfit, she sat down at her desk, glancing at the alarm clock there. Just barely nine, she had time to flip through some of the books she'd set aside. "Starting your journey: a trainer's guide to Pokemon training. This reads like a psychology self-help book…."

Like the title implied, most of the book was a basic overview of what to expect, but she dog-eared several chapters that outlined the details of certain services offered to trainers. One explained the Pokemon Center system, and certain chains of shops or companies that specialized in specific areas of Pokemon training and care. Another outlined each region's rules about carry-limits, expansion appeals, and designating care and storage for Pokemon not on an active team.

The one that she lingered on, after a cursory skim of the other chapters, was career registration. Trainers were apparently encouraged to register as their preferred 'type' or specialization as a trainer, but could change it whenever they liked. They were required to register as one when they started their journey, and could change it at any Pokemon Center. It was much like the options in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire that let players choose their icon for the PSS, only this was an actual declaration of intent－apparently in some cases, like for aspiring Ace Trainers, the database would 'ping' more experienced trainers of a specific specializing and that trainer could then decide to contact the aspiring trainer to offer a sort of mentor-ship.

Josie bit her lip. Now that she thought about it, what was she even going to do on her journey? It was highly likely that she'd end up traveling with Serena and Ash, and thus Clemont and Bonnie, which meant trouble eventually. So she'd definitely have to train her Pokemon, whatever they ended up being, for battle if only so she wouldn't be helpless or useless. They would already be going to the Gyms, but… well, she would have to see how she liked battling first. In the games in was fun, but who knew what her opinion would be after actually experiencing it? She also had always wanted to just _explore_ and interact with her team.

She was too self-conscious to be a Pokemon Performer, she'd leave that to Serena… and since there didn't seem to be a Contest circuit, a career with less focus on the trainer on stage, in Kalos she'd hold off checking those out until after going around Kalos. Maybe she could find videos, though… speaking of videos, PokeVisions were a thing in Kalos. Could those be done as a career, like a Youtuber type thing? She made a mental note to check that out. Sighing, she looked at her egg, sliding her fingers across the clear tube.

"There's a lot to learn about this world," she told it, feeling just a little awkward about talking to a massive egg but not enough to stop. "There's a lot of things to do, I think… we'll just have to explore them as we go. Whenever you decide you're ready to hatch, of course. I'll be the one doing all the work till then."

The egg glowed brightly as if to reply, and through the awe she managed a smirk, recalling a vague mention of unborn Pokemon being aware of what was outside of their egg. Was there any truth to that? She had time to test it, and was alone enough not to let any embarrassment prevent her from trying.

"Was that a 'sounds good' or a 'I'll do it myself'?" The egg shook a little this time, and her eyes widened as it flashed briefly. She began to smile. "That looked like 'I'll do it myself' to me." The egg shook harder, flashing again, and after a moment of internal debate, she fumbled with the incubator's base until she heard a click, allowing her to lift the lid off. The egg stilled, and she bit her lip to hide her disappointment before trying a different approach.

"C'mon, buddy, I know you've got it in you to keep going," she urged, beaming when the egg began to glow steadily this time, shaking every few moments. This… this could be _it_. This could be the moment she would meet a real life Pokemon, one all her own. "That's it! You've got this, just keep trying. I'm right here waiting for you, buddy, you can do it."

Her words seemed to get through, because the egg began to crack, glowing brighter, enough that she had to squint. The sounds of cracking grew louder, and she waited with bated breath as it all seemed to stop for a moment. Then, with one final flash, the light dissipated, and she saw her first partner, for the first time.

The little golden cub yawned, stumbling out of the incubator's base. As if in a trance, Josie scooped up the shiny Shinx and cuddled it to her chest, earning a hearty purr. Shinx nuzzled her, and she found herself laughing softly, pulling back to look at her first Pokemon. Her partner. With golden fur and a face that would undoubtedly be a master of Baby-Doll Eyes, Shinx was perfect.

"You're adorable," she informed it, swiping at her eyes for a moment and trying to compose herself. Remembering the Shinx she'd had in her game, she scratched the cub behind its ear, giddy at the sensation of velvety fur and the barest hint of static. This was _way_ better than the game. "Can I give you a nickname?"

Shinx tilted its head cutely at her, licking her wrist. Then it nodded, and she thought about it, reeling from the whole situation as well as the confirmation of such incredible intelligence. Unable to rid her mind of names coming from her Shinx' shiny coloring, she finally gave in and made her suggestion. "How about Topaz? It's a gemstone the color of your fur, that pretty yellow," she explained.

After blinking for a few moments, it nodded, and she couldn't help but sweep Topaz back into her arms, resulting in a happy Shinx cub that gently batted her chin with soft paws. The firm warmth of Topaz' small body made Josie realize that this was no dream. This was real, and she was going to live out her dream.

She was going to be a trainer.

XxXxX

"Josie! Wake up, you're gonna be late! You still need to shower and get dressed, and eat before you go!"

Groaning, Josie forced her eyes open, blinking slowly in confusion as pale green walls met her vision. _Where…?_ With a gasp, she bolted upright, remembering what had happened.

"Shinx! Shi shinx," a little voice protested the sudden movement, pressing against her side, and she glanced down at Topaz. The cub pouted at her, no doubt tired from their late night.

"Sorry, Topaz," she apologized, shifting the cub to her still warm pillow, feeling lighter than air at waking up _here_. A moment's thought made her frown－she really needed to find out what gender her partner was, calling the cub 'it' and 'the cub' was going to get old real fast. "You can sleep a little longer, I'm going to get ready. I'll be back soon."

Purring contentedly, Topaz shut its eyes and went back to sleep. Grinning, Josie got out of bed and grabbed her clothes, searching for the bathroom. She'd woken up still _here_, and she was beyond excited. Taking the fastest shower ever, she dried her hair and dressed, then went back to her room to double check she had everything. Strapping her Xtransceiver to her wrist and sliding the trainer guide books into her bag, she pulled out the Luxury Ball and eyed it contemplatively.

_Not yet,_ she decided, slipping it into her hoodie pocket and rubbing the soft fur above Topaz's nose as a warning that she was going to pick the cub up (well, interact with it, Topaz probably didn't understand the more specific intent from just touch), cradling it in her arms. She yawned as she trudged down the stairs, but she didn't regret staying up so late. After Topaz hatched, she'd spent a good few hours just cuddling and playing with the young Pokemon, reassuring herself that yes, she really did have her own Pokemon now, and a shiny one at that!

Actually, she probably should officially capture Topaz before she left. She didn't want to take any chances with her partner.

"Good morning," she greeted Marie, her _mom_, waiting for her to turn around. She couldn't help but laugh at the shocked expression that Topaz received.

"I don't believe it! A shiny Shinx! Oh, you've got some luck, baby girl, what a cutie," Marie crooned, leaning over to pet the cub. Topaz bumped its head into her hand, adorable in every way. "Make sure to call Professor Rowan to let him know, and thank him again. His number's already in your Xtransceiver, don't you dare forget!"

"I'll call him today," Josie nodded, already trying to word her gratitude. "I nicknamed it Topaz. I don't know how to check the gender, though…"

"You can do that when you get your PokeDex. Have you caught Topaz yet?"

She shook her head. "I was just thinking about it, I know I need to do it before I leave. Especially with Topaz being a shiny."

"Yeah, can't be too careful," Marie sighed, but brightened a moment later. "Well, sit down and eat, Serena's going to drop by to pick you up and lead the way to Lumiose. Has she told you what starter she wanted? Grace says she hasn't mentioned it, although she did say she'd already decided."

"She didn't say anything last night, but I think I can guess." Josie looked away, using Topaz as an excuse for the shift. She didn't know how accurate her knowledge would end up being, and there was no real reason to say anything about that anyways. So she sat down at the table, after setting Topaz on the floor where it was swiftly distracted by a bowl of what looked like milk-soaked Pokemon food and berries being set in front of it. Human food was already on the table, so she dug in, wanting to be finished by the time Serena came. She didn't want to hold her new cousin up, wanting to meet Ash for herself as well. If things went according to the anime, he wouldn't remember Serena (or her, apparently, if that picture still on her desk was any clue) without significant prompting, but she still wanted to meet him.

"I know you two are starting a little late, but fifteen is a much easier age for Grace and I to feel like you'll be safe," Marie said as she sat down. "And look, you got a super rare starter for the wait. Just be careful and make sure to call me regularly, okay? Especially when you're away from Pokemon Centers for more than a week or two."

_She is giving me a lot of information,_ Josie realized, finishing the last of her water. It helped her out a lot, and now she knew that 'this' Josie was fifteen and had delayed a journey at her mother's request. "I will, I promise. I'll stick with Serena, I think. A group would be better."

Nodding, Marie's reply was interrupted by a short series of rapid knocks on the front door. Sighing ruefully, she met Josie's gaze. "Good luck, do your best, I love you, and please enjoy yourself to the fullest. Go for broke, baby girl!"

Swallowing hard, Josie nodded, unable to find her voice. Instead, she slung her bag over her shoulder, strap across her body, and got up, calling to Topaz as she went. The cub scampered over, already done eating.

"I need you to go in this for a little bit," she told it while showing it the Luxury Ball, stroking down its spine. "I'll call you back out soon, okay?"

"Shinx!" Not protesting, Topaz allowed her to press the Pokeball to its head (after an awkward fumble to figure out how to activate the device to full size) and was easily enveloped in the red energy and sucked into the device, a loud click showing an instant capture. Standing, holding the ball tightly, Josie took a deep breath and tucked in into her hoodie pocket. She turned, offering Mari a smile.

"Love you," she said, unable not to say it, because while this was new to her still, this woman had loved her without even knowing who she really was. "I'll call after Serena gets her starter!" And she rushed out the door, coming face-to-face with a bubbly blonde that hugged her as soon as she was through the doorway.

"Morning, Josie! You ready? Wait, where's the egg?" Serena gasped. "Don't tell me it hatched already?!"

"Late last night," she replied, gently shoving her cousin towards the gate. "I'll show you later, let's get to Lumiose. You wanted to catch up with Ash, right?"

Instantly the other girl flushed, stammering out something that sounded like a protest but also a 'yes'. Chuckling, Josie followed as Serena whirled and headed a direction that she obviously knew well. Keeping pace with her, Josie took in the sleepy atmosphere of Vaniville Town. It was mostly a residential area, she noted, only a few shops and a library next to what looked like a small school. She assumed that Aquacorde Town was close enough that most people worked there instead.

"So," she started as they reached what had to be Route 1, unable to stand the silence, although the distant calls of bird Pokemon were relaxing to her. "What's your plan for this journey?"

Serena tool a few minutes to consider, blue eyes a little distant. "I just want to travel, for now. I'm just glad there won't be any Ryhorn racing practice… I want to find my own dream, you know?"

"I'm sure you'll find something, we're bound to come across something that you'll love," Josie encouraged, uncertain if she should mention anything ahead of canon time. She couldn't bring herself to do so, not blatantly, anyways. "You like fashion, right? There must be tons of things you can do with that. You and whatever Pokemon will end up on your team."

"Yeah, you're right. I'll find something for sure. Hey, let's hurry through Aquacorde, I want to get through Santalune City before noon."

"Is there somewhere to get Pokeballs in Aquacorde? I read there's a Pokemon I want in Santalune Forest, I want to be able to get one if we happen to see it," she explained, eager. She would get her Vivillon one way or another. She'd found a stash of money in her boxes, and she was pretty sure she had enough for at least a few normal Pokeballs.

"I think there's a shop that has them. What Pokemon?"

"Well, the line," she admitted, throwing together a passable excuse. "So either a Scatterbug or Spewpa. I read about Vivillon before we moved, they have a ton of potential for pretty much every type of trainer."

The other girl looked at her with a raised eyebrow, but smiled, her voice taking a teasing tone. "Well, maybe I'll have you help me find more Pokemon too, since you know so much." She sighed wistfully. "I can't wait to get to Lumiose, I hope the Professor has the starter I want. I scheduled for today, but I just worry."

"I'm sure you'll get it. But we can hurry, if that will help you feel better."

"It sure will, race you to Aquacorde!"

"Huh－hey wait! I don't know my way around yet!"

XxXxX

Josie braced her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath and ignore her aching calves. It was a long walk to Lumiose, and they'd only just then arrived at the gate. They hadn't seen any of the Pokemon she'd been looking for in the forest, but then again she hadn't pushed for them to really look, knowing they were on a bit of a schedule. Finally recovered, she stuck close to her cousin as they ventured in through the gate. It was a huge city, but not as packed as she'd feared.

Serena knew the way to the lab, so Josie grabbed her cousin's hand and just took in the sights. There were a lot of shops that looked interesting, and she made a mental note to sight-see a bit the next time they passed through. The lab itself was just as pretty as the TV show, although the tell-tale tarps could attest to the Team Rocket fiasco that had made the recent news. Following Serena inside, she stayed near the door as the other girl called out her arrival, content to just watch. This was a special moment for Serena, after all.

"I'm here," Professor Sycamore called back from atop the stairs. "Thanks for coming."

"It's nice to meet you! I'm Serena Yvonne," she replied, walked closer to the steps as the professor descended them.

"You're here to become a Pokemon Trainer, correct? You and your cousin," he added with a nod to Josie, who started, but nodded back as she shuffled forwards.

"That's right. Also, Professor, I saw something on the news. The trainer who saved that Garchomp the other day…"

Sycamore's eyes brightened. "Ah, you mean Ash?"

Josie could practically see the excitement pouring off her cousin as her wish came true. Well, partially. Shaking her head with a smile, she listened in as the Professor continued.

"He already set off. He said he'd go and challenge the Santalune Gym."

"Santalune Gym… All right, Professor. May I pick my starter?" Serena chirped, eyes sparkling while her body language become a little antsy, no doubt wanting to catch up to her crush.

"Of course!" Sycamore replied, clearly amused with Serena's enthusiasm; Josie silently wondered if he enjoyed seeing new trainers set off, one after the other, if he kept an ear out to see where they ended up. "Have you already decided which Pokemon will be your partner?" When the girl nodded, he turned to slightly shadowed hallway off to the side. "All right everyone, come out!"

Josie couldn't help but coo over how cute the starters were in person. They were so vibrant, practically glowing with energy and life. Watching as her cousin fawned over them, she sidled around behind her to stand a little ways off from the professor. He gave Serena a PokeDex before she could do anything else, instructing her on how to use it and suggesting she try it out. While she crouched down in front of the trio of Pokemon, he looked over to Josie.

"You aren't here to get a starter?"

"Oh, I have a Pokemon already," she assured him quietly, bringing out Topaz's Luxury Ball. "But I just moved to Kalos, so I'm supposed to register and everything."

He hummed in understanding, pulling another PokeDex out of his lab coat pocket. "Ah, then go ahead and take this too. You have your Trainer ID, yes? You can put in your information and register your starter at the Pokemon Center."

"Thank you, Professor," she said gratefully, making sure her grip on the PokeDex was secure before turning back to watch her cousin stand, a decisive movement.

"Have you made your choice?"

Serena's gaze ran over all three Pokemon. "Now that I see them all in person, I think they're all really cute. But I already decided before leaving home." Taking a few steps forward, she crouched down in front of the little yellow and orange fire type, the fox's eyes widening in wonder. "Fennekin, it's nice to meet you! I'm Serena, and I want you to be my partner."

Josie had never seen a creature look so joyful at being chosen (or at all, really, regular animals weren't nearly as expressive as Pokemon were proving to be), the Fennekin yipping out a delighted agreement and jumping into Serena's arms. Smiling at the sight, Josie waited patiently for Serena to be given her starter's Pokeball and the spares that regional Professor gave to those scheduled to receive a starter. She jumped when Serena whirled, pinning her in place in an expectant stare.

"Oh right." She laughed nervously at the sudden attention. "You wanted to see what my egg hatched into. Come on out, Topaz," she said, gently tossing the Luxury Ball and catching it as her Shinx materialized. That would take some getting used to, but it felt so cool to be able to do it.

"Aw, super cute! Wait, that's a… You got a shiny Shinx, that's so cool," Serena exclaimed, already aiming her PokeDex at the young Pokemon. Kneeling down to greet her starter, Josie did the same.

"_Shinx, the Flash Pokemon. __All of its fur dazzles if danger is sensed. It flees while the foe is momentarily blinded.__"_ Unable to hold back a smile at having a real PokeDex, Josie scrolled through the extra information available because of the Pokeball in her hand, scratching Topaz behind the ears as the mechanical voice kept going. _"This Pokemon is female, has the Intimidate and Rival abilities, and knows the moves Tackle, Leer, Charge, Baby-Doll Eyes and Double Kick. Note: Double Kick in an egg move. This Pokemon also has the egg move Ice Fang, but it has not been mastered yet."_

"You're a powerful little girl, aren't you Topaz?" She mused, her starter purring louder in response. It seemed that the four-move limit wasn't really a thing here, at least as far as being able to use them. Maybe battles just had move-limits? Tucking away the PokeDex and Pokeball, she gathered Topaz into her arms, much like how Serena was holding Fennekin. "I have to thank Professor Rowan for giving her egg to me, again."

"Yes, your Shinx is a rare Pokemon indeed," Sycamore said with a smile. "I wish you both the best of luck!"

"Thank you," Serena said cheerfully. "Josie, we should hurry to get Topaz registered as your starter so we can catch up with Ash. C'mon, let's go!" Without waiting, she dashed for the door, leaving Josie to send a quick thanks of her own to the professor before running after her cousin.

"Serena, I don't even know where the Pokemon Center is!"

XxXxX

"What a nice morning!" Serena said brightly, looking completely relaxed in the crisp air. In contrast, Josie was fairly certain she looked like a swamp monster.

She was exhausted and sore from all the travel yesterday, but she kept that to herself. She had to get used to it sooner or later. Yawning, she watched as Topaz and Fennekin ate their breakfast and chatted to each other. It was nice to see that they were friends, and Josie was happy that her starter was enjoying herself. It was a quartet of ladies for the moment, and while she actually wanted to go back to bed and forget her legs existed, she was prepared to head out.

Seeing that Serena was done, she stacked their dishes neatly on the patio table, slinging her bag over her shoulder as her cousin thanked Nurse Joy and held out her arm for her Fennekin to catch a ride. Josie would do the same, but Topaz was still a bit too young to have the hang of keeping her grip, so she just carried the cub.

"We're almost to Santalune," Josie commented as they made their way back to the route. She tried to remember what exactly happened in those early XY episodes, but she was still groggy and the pain in her feet was making focusing difficult. "Should we check the Gym first?"

"The Professor said he'd be challenging it, so yeah. Hopefully we're not too far behind," she fretted. Her dedication to meeting up with him was cute, Josie would give her that, but she was actually not looking forwards to the look on her cousin's face when Ash didn't remember right away.

Still, she trudged on, a tiny bit jealous that Topaz was snoozing away in her arms. Sighing, she tried to stay alert. She'd had to stay up late again, after getting a call from her mother that reminded her about the time zone difference in Sinnoh, so she could thank Professor Rowan and show him Topaz. He was a gruff, stern man, but thankfully he preferred to keep things short and to the point. It was just staying up that was the problem.

Regardless of her internal complaints, they made good time into the city, and a quick look at Serena's tablet pointed them in the right direction of the Gym. They slid in through the door to the battlefield, and Josie guided her cousin behind the spectator wall after Alexa invited them to come watch.

And then Josie tried really, really hard to zone out for the duration of the battle, remembering how bad she'd felt for Ash about Viola's downright vicious strategy. The poor guy only had three Pokemon on hand and only one had any decent training, but he did try, she'd give him that. Since she was closest to the doors, she was a little sheltered from the two blond siblings cheering Ash on, but she silently wished him luck.

Unfortunately, it went just like the episode, and Ash lost. The electric siblings rushed over to help him with his Pokemon, and Josie let a hand rest on a distraught Serena's shoulder before motioning that they should follow. It was Serena who noticed Ash's backpack, something that Josie had totally forgotten about. Maybe she'd paid more attention to the battle… then again, she could hardly remember all the details of the show.

By the time the cousins caught up with Ash's group, his Pokemon were already being treated, and Ash was in his little funk. Letting Serena go ahead to handle him, Josie wandered over to the electric siblings. Both were disheartened, sky blue eyes turning a shade darker as they kept turning to check on Ash. She took a moment to adjust to the bright yellow of their hair before approaching.

"I guess Viola's pretty tough," she commented sympathetically.

Bonnie glanced at her, before her eyes fell on Topaz and all thoughts of Ash's defeat flew out the window. "Wow, your Shinx is yellow! It's so cute! Why does it look different?!"

Before Clemont could reign her in, Josie giggled and slid into the nearest chair, gently waking up her starter. Topaz yawned cutely, pressing her nose to her trainer's chest. "She's a shiny Pokemon, that's why she looks different. Her name is Topaz." Seeing the cub's tail twitch playfully, she set her on the table, ruffling the fur between her ears. "You can play with her if you want, she's very friendly."

It was like taking a kid to a candy store and telling them, "Get anything, it's on me". Bonnie's whole face _lit up_, and before Josie could even blink the young girl had both Topaz and her Dedenne on the ground where they started playing some kind of hand-paw-tapping game. Smiling at how Topaz was very much enjoying making new friends, she turned to Clemont. He watched his younger sister for a moment before shifting to face her.

"Hope you guy didn't mind my cousin and I ducking in to watch Ash's match," she said, a little sheepishly.

"No, I'm sure it's fine－wait, you know Ash?"

Hiding a wince at how easily she slipped up, she shrugged. "We all went to a summer camp hosted by Professor Oak as kids. He helped Serena out when she hurt her leg, and she's been trying to come find him ever since she saw the Prism Tower incident on TV and recognized him. I'm not sure if he remembers, though, it didn't look like he recognized either of us. It _was_ a long time ago. Ah, looks like she managed to get him back on his feet," she noted, having glanced over to check on the two. Pleased that her cousin was managing to talk normally to her crush, who was no lounger slouching with a defeated expression, she got to her feet.

At that moment, chimes rang out through the speakers, alerting Ash that his Pokemon were recovered. Josie hung back while he retrieved his Pokemon, keeping an eye on Topaz as she darted around Bonnie's legs in what looked like a variation of tag.

"Josie." Serena's flat announcement of her name got her attention. Glancing up, she realized that the group was all staring expectantly at her.

Flushing in embarrassment, she ducked her head and cleared her throat. "Sorry, what?"

"I was trying to introduce you," Serena informed her with a slight eye roll, but she was smiling. "Like I was saying, this is my cousin, Josie Yvonne. She just moved to Kalos a few days ago."

"Nice to meet you," she waved, bracing herself as Topaz bulldozed head-first into her shins. It was becoming a bit of a habit for the young Pokemon, and she reminded herself to try and curb it before she evolved, or things could get nasty. "Topaz, you're going to give yourself a headache if you keep doing that…" Scooping the cub off the floor with an exaggerated sigh, she turned to pink haired woman behind the counter. Refusing to be thrown off by how exactly alike Lumiose's Nurse Joy the woman looked like, she cleared her throat softly and placed her starter on the counter. "Nurse Joy, could you give my Shinx a checkup? She just hatched recently. Serena, you should have her check Fennekin too."

"Oh right!" Releasing the little fox, Serena tugged Josie closer to the counter. While Ash dug his PokeDex out of his pocket and Bonnie got up close and personal with Fennekin, Josie found herself feeling disconnected.

She had been trying very hard to keep her mood up, to make the most of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. For the most part, in the whirlwind that was starting a journey in Kalos, she'd succeeded. But… she'd never been good at interacting with people. For nearly a decade, the only friend she'd had was Nick. And he wasn't with her anymore, so now she had no one to help ease her into being around a ton of people. She felt like she didn't belong, the sensation cold and heavy. Lonely.

Staying quiet as Serena chatted with the others, Josie stepped away to go sit on one of the lobby couches, digging her trainer guide out of her bag in the hopes of distracting herself and passing the time. Flipping to a chapter that detailed some basic training exercises and tips for young electric types, she settled to wait for Topaz's checkup to be finished. When Alexa came in and offered to help Ash train, she looked up.

"Josie, are you going to come watch?" Serena called across the large room.

She shook her head, waving her cousin to go on. "I'll wait here for Topaz. Good luck with your training, Ash, Pikachu, Fletchling, I cheer for you when you challenge Viola again."

"Thanks," the boy said, lifting a hand in acknowledgement. With that, they all went back to the Pokemon Center's training field, and Josie went back to her book. This would let Serena talk to her crush a bit and try to get him to remember the summer camp, anyways, she didn't want to interfere. Considering that _she_ technically didn't even go to the summer camp, only knew that as a child in this world she'd gone to it with her cousin (she wondered how 'dropping' her into this world had worked, if she had just shown up and suddenly she had a place or what), there was no point in her being present for it.

At least her trainer guide was useful, as she now had an idea of how to ease Topaz into training. She was thinking of asking Clemont for some advice, as he was a more experienced trainer. She would claim that if he questioned why she was asking him. She'd do the same with Ash, as he had Pikachu on hand. She hadn't yet asked Topaz if she wanted to do any battling, even just a test run to see if that's what they wanted to do, but the cub being able to take care of herself was non-negotiable.

Josie could hold her own in basic brawl, if necessary. She wasn't proud of it, that time in her life where she'd been so ashamed to be living in an orphanage, of wearing donated hand-me-downs, that she'd run off to try and make her own way on the streets. She'd been lucky to only get beaten up a few times, but in the end, despite sulking back to the orphanage a few weeks later to a frantic Nick and a stern matron, she'd learned where to direct her fists, elbows, and knees. Remembering that also reminded her to work on her own physical strength, not just that of her Pokemon.

That decided, she got to her feet and looked around the lobby for something else to read. A rack of pamphlets caught her eye, and she picked up one with a big 'Parterre Way!' printed in a bright, eye-catching orange. Below it, in smaller and less noticeable print, was 'Route 4'. To her surprise, it had a list of Pokemon that had a history of living in the area, and what the best times to find each one were. Her eyes lingered on the Skitty and Ralts sections, also skimming the Flabébé and Budew entries. All four were cute Pokemon with a lot of potential for all types of trainers. Plus, if trained well, their final evolutions packed a lot of power. And the Ralts line could Mega Evolve.

"... They'll be training for a while, won't they?" She murmured to herself, checking the time on her Xtransceiver. If she remembered correctly, Ash would train until nightfall, or a bit later. Route 4 was just a fifteen minute walk out of Santalune, and it was just barely eleven in the morning. She could go out and tell Serena she heard of a Pokemon she wanted on Route 4 and be back before dark. She didn't have to go far, and it would be good experience in trying to find wild Pokemon. If something came up, Serena could always call her from the Pokemon Center's phones, her cousin did have her number.

Well, she'd go once Topaz was ready. Sighing, she sat back down, pamphlet in hand, and pulled out her PokeDex. She probably had enough time to figure out how to sync it with her Xtransceiver…

Just fifteen minutes later, she'd discovered that syncing the two devices was the best decision she'd ever made. She could set them so that it was her Xtransceiver that gave her a basic rundown of a Pokemon if she scanned one with the PokeDex, or take a picture of a Pokemon with the Xtransceiver and have the PokeDex identify it later. Because of the GPS function, it could also tell her _where_ Pokemon she looked up in her PokeDex liked to live, and nearby locations where there was a high chance of encountering them. Her Xtransceiver could also display what Pokemon she currently had on her team, and lists of Pokemon she'd scanned or caught.

Basically, it was the perfect combination of trainer tech, and she had no intentions of wasting it. She looked up the four Pokemon she had her eye on and sent the data request to her Xtransceiver. Saving the information to a bookmark list after checking to see where the best places to find them were, she made a mental map of what order she'd go looking in. On a whim, she looked up Eevee, and nearly cheered out loud when there was what looked like a clearing nearby on the map where they'd been seen before.

It seemed like her home world logic was extremely effective in getting the job done. More effective than the TV show way of finding and catching Pokemon was, anyways. Honestly, the resources were clearly available. Why did Ash never use them?!

"Trainer Josie, your Pokemon's checkup is finished!" Nurse Joy's cheerful voice rang across the lobby, and Josie hurried back to the counter, greeting Topaz with an exaggerated kiss to the top of her furry head. Topaz chirruped, basking in the attention before the nurse stole away her trainer's focus. "She's in perfect health. You can start basic training with her, but try to avoid battling experienced Pokemon, as she is still young. And no official battles, alright?"

"Yes ma'am," Josie nodded. "Thanks, Nurse Joy. Is my cousin's Fennekin almost ready? Ah, seems like it," she added as Fennekin was wheeled out by the nurse's Wigglytuff, tail wagging as she searched for her trainer. "Serena's outside watching Ash train, Fennekin."

"Fen," the little fox barked, jumping onto Josie's shoulder in a clear request to be taken to her trainer.

"Alright, let's go find her. Thanks again Nurse Joy!" Getting a sweet smile and an 'any time' from the woman, Josie made her way through the back door to the training fields, jogging over to Serena, who was standing on the sidelines with the electric siblings. "Serena, Fennekin's here."

Serena tore her eyes away from the intense training session to thank her, plucking her starter of Josie's shoulder and cuddling her. "Thanks. You know, I had no idea that some trainers did this kind of thing! Pikachu and Fletchling are so strong!"

Squinting to see against the dust kicked up by Noivern's massive wings, Josie nodded, though her focus was more on the dragon. Noivern was incredible to see in person, leathery wings and muscles flexing powerfully as it sent Gust after Gust at the two much smaller Pokemon on the opposite side of the field. The purple dragon was fierce and gorgeous, and Josie was filled with want. Maybe she could catch her own dragon type. Which ones were native to Kalos, again?

"Yeah, they're really working hard." She hesitated, piecing together a lead that would make her leaving to look for Pokemon not seem rude or anything. "Is Ash going to challenge Viola again today?"

"I don't think so, it looks like he's going to train the rest of the day and then go back in the morning."

Perfect. "Alright. I found out that there's some cute Pokemon that live on Route 4, so I'm going to go check it out, I'll be back before dark. Call me if anything comes up, okay?"

Already back to observing Ash and his Pokemon, Serena just nodded to show she'd heard. Stifling a laugh, Josie slipped away and headed for the road that would lead her to her goal. Her main two targets for the day? Ralts and Eevee. Anything else, including Flabébé, Skitty, and Budew, would be nice, but those two were some of her all-time favorite Pokemon.

"So, Topaz," she began as they made their way to the dirt path. "I'm thinking we should talk to some Pokemon and see if they want to become our friends and come with us while we travel. If you want to spar with a Pokemon, make sure to ask first, okay?" She held no illusions about her starter's abilities and would prefer to make peaceful captures if she made any today. Maybe the cub's age would work in their favor.

The cub nodded, eager, wriggling until she put her on the ground. Topaz stuck close, but was obviously enjoying being able to run around and investigate the scents she was picking up. Checking her map every now and then, Josie guided them towards a clearing about a mile and a half into the woods of Route 4.

Hiking was a new and exciting experience for her. She'd grown up in a city where the only trees were tiny things caged tightly beside sidewalks, and the only other greenery was short and carefully trimmed hedges, so being in an actual forest was still a novel thing to her. There were little chunks of bark that bit into her palms from where she'd had to find her balance on slippery, moss-covered roots, and her leggings had leaf-juice all over them from where she'd stumbled, but she didn't care. It was _fun_, and the air felt so clean, and she was seeing little glimpses of Pokemon _everywhere_! Plus, Topaz was practically vibrating with energy, happy to be exploring.

It took about forty-five minutes to reach the clearing she wanted, and during that time Josie had shown Topaz pictures of the types of Pokemon they were looking for, hoping that it would help. It couldn't hurt, at least. Carefully, watching her step so she didn't make a ton of noise, she started to explore the clearing. There were several Flabébé floating around, and a couple of Floette, and a lot of Ledyba and Combee.

"Topaz, do you think you could ask around and see if there are any Eevee or Ralts around here? Try asking the Ledyba first, the red Pokemon like that one," she pointed out. She wasn't sure if having the cub approach a Combee or Flabébé would be safe just yet. Both of the base stage Pokemon were likely to have a second or final stage friend hanging around, and she didn't want to be seen as a threat. The Ledyba looked more dopey and friendly anyways, so they were a safer bet.

_If only Nick could hear me now,_ she thought with a sharp pang in her chest as Topaz scampered off to complete her little 'mission'. _Making strategies for asking wild Pokemon for info. _They used to joke about it, creating little spy networks of friendly wild Pokemon. He would have loved this entire situation.

Shaking her head, Josie's gaze followed her electric type as she bounded over to a Ledyba hanging out on a rock. She could just barely hear them from her spot leaning against a tree.

"Shi shinx shin shinx?" Topaz asked, golden eyes wide and cute. That a girl, get in there with the Baby-Doll Eyes! "Shinx shi shinx, shin shi shinx."

They Ledyba blinked, tilting its head and opening its mouth to reply (why was a giant bug so cute? She might just catch one…). "Ba? Ba… Ledy ledyba le dyba. Ledyba," it added, pointing two of its arms in one direction.

Topaz jumped in place happily, darting forwards to give the Ledyba a lick of thanks. She than darted back to Josie, pleased with herself and motioning with her head the direction the Ledyba had pointed.

"That way? Alrighty, girl, lead on," Josie said, following her starter around the clearing and across a shallow stream. Slowly the trees gave way to a set of low cliffs and a river, but Topaz led them to a dense grove that went right up to the stone and paused, turning to her trainer and pointing her paw to a nearby rock. "You want me to wait here? Okay, but be careful."

Watching as Topaz called out before entering the bushes, Josie sat down on the rock and looked around, admiring the scenery. She was still alert, of course, because Topaz meant everything to her and if she heard signs of trouble she'd dive into that grove regardless of the consequences, but this area _was_ extremely pretty and relaxing. With the river flowing gently behind her, and the warm sun on her face… maybe she'd come back sometime.

Rustling leaves had her opening eyes she didn't remember closing, and Topaz left the thicket, a Delcatty with intelligent eyes following only to sit down a few feet from its home. The feline studied her for a long moment, as Topaz trotted over and hopped onto the rock beside her to get some well-deserved cuddles.

After what seemed like an eternity, the Delcatty let out a crooning sound, almost like it was singing. It then raised a foreleg at her, and repeated the sound. Blinking, Josie tried to interpret the action.

"Are saying you want me to sing?" She asked in confusion. It was an odd request, but it wasn't like there was anything wrong with it. But a wild Pokemon asking a random trainer to sing?

"Del," the normal type nodded, its violet neck fur gleaming in the light at the graceful motion, shifting so its tail was curled around its feet in such a cat pose that Josie had to smile. She thought for a moment, trying to come up with something to sing. Her tastes in music were a little random, and she'd been more interested in things like background music than memorizing songs with lyrics, but she knew a few.

In eighth grade, Nick had gotten really into an anime called 'The World is still Beautiful'. He would bring his laptop to school so they could watch the episodes, both dubbed and subbed, and he'd loved it so much that she had learned the song Nike sang to summon the rain. They would sing it together every time it same up in the show. She didn't have the music to accompany her (it hadn't been on the 3DS Nick had given her, so it hadn't been transferred to her Xtransceiver) but she remembered how it went.

She took a breath to gather herself, the memories sharp but still warm, and sang the opening lines. _"__Kyou umareta kanashimi ga__… __Sora e maiagaru__…"_

Josie slowly stood, closing her eyes and imagining Nick was sitting on the grass, just listening this time. She'd never been a particularly skilled singer, her voice too breathy to sound that good, but when she sang with Nick it didn't matter, because it was just for them, just for fun.

"_Anata wo mamoritai unmei ni sawaritai__…"_

She missed him so much it physically hurt. The universe had granted her a bittersweet kindness in sending her here, but the guilt weight heavily on her shoulders no matter how she tried to ignore it.

Would he have been mad? That she got to do what they'd both dreamed of while he was dead, that she was willing to? No, he wasn't that kind of person. She'd almost forgotten how selfless he was, where everyone else had expected a spoiled rich kid. He would probably mess up her hair if he was here now, scolding her for thinking so low of him, he'd ask what she wanted to do now. He would guide her through planning things out, what to say to who to help out Kalos and everyone in it.

As the cliffs made her voice echo slightly, the breeze felt warm on her face, as if he had brushed a hand down her cheek. Yes, he would have, right before giving her a playful shove right into the river before fishing her out and laughing with her when she returned the favor.

_I'm going to do this for you,_ she promised, before adding, _for us. I'll bring you with me._ Raising her voice as if singing the next words could bind her to that silent promise, she poured everything into the chorus.

Singing the next verse a little gentler, Josie opened her eyes, a little more at peace with herself after Nick's death, not letting her surprise interrupt the song. Delcatty was watching her with bright, soft eyes, a pair of Skitty at its side and a trio of what looked like Eevee still partially in the bushes. Standing close to Delcatty was a Kirlia that had one hand on the head of a little Ralts that was also mostly hidden in the bushes.

They were listening to the song, and feeling untouchable, Josie poured her feelings into her voice. Her memories with Nick, her love of the Pokemon series, the gratitude she held for whatever brought her here. As she belted out the bridge of the song, she was beaming. Maybe she didn't know what she wanted to do with the life she'd been given, but it didn't matter. She would give it everything she had, for Nick, for _herself._

That new thought nearly drove the breath from her lungs, causing the opening lines of the final chorus to be quieter than she intended, but no less emotional. Catching herself she pressed on, as if to convey that she wouldn't be giving into grief. The weight lifted from her shoulders, no longer something to suffer from but something to build on. Finally drawing the song to a close, she let the last lines fall into the sudden calmness that surrounded her.

"_Please come the tender rain__… __Come! Tender rain__."_

Panting slightly, unused to singing for so long, it took her a few moments to muster up some composure. Meeting Delcatty's gaze, she waited, still unsure of what purpose the singing had served to the Pokemon but thankful for the clarity if offered her all the same.

"Delcatty," it said, dipping its head in a slow, deliberate nod. It felt like approval. To Josie's shock, the Normal type flicked its tail at the Ralts and towards the cluster of Eevee. "Del delcatty ty."

"Ralts?" The dual Psychic/Fairy type looked surprised, but it was also smiling, causing Josie to wonder what exactly Delcatty was saying. If only she could understand Pokemon better, instead of having to rely on charades… Maybe she should see if Psychic types could learn telepathic communication with humans.

"Ty." Delcatty motioned once more to the Eevee, and one trotted out of the shadows, silver fur practically shining in the sunlight. The Eevee brushed its tail against Delcatty's flank before having a rapid but soft conversation with the other two Eevee and Skitty. When it was finished, the shiny Eevee walked calmly over and sat down beside Topaz. Flabbergasted, Josie could only stare as the Ralts did the same, crossing the short space between them after giving the Kirlia a hug and revealing its blue and orange helmet, marking it as another shiny.

"Wait, do you… want to come with me?" When the two Pokemon nodded, she glanced between them and the other wild Pokemon. "Are you all sure?"

Delcatty smile either indulgently or patronizingly at her, as if she'd just done something right and needed a gold sticker to commemorate the event, and walked back into the thicket with the remaining Pokemon following it. That was a pretty clear answer in Josie's eyes, so she knelt down to greet the Ralts and Eevee, unable to believe her luck. Digging two Pokeballs out of her bag, she offered one to each of them. The two shared a look before tapping the buttons themselves, not fighting it.

Josie sat down hard, absently tucking the Pokeballs back into her bag, in the same pocket as Topaz's, and stroking her Shinx's fur when the cub jumped into her lap. Three shiny Pokemon. Two of which joined her team at the same time, which could not be natural.

Maybe it was the work of the voice that brought her here?

"Well," she said at last, forcing herself to her feet. "I guess… we'll head back to Santalune, then?" She'd gotten both of the two Pokemon she'd really been aiming for, so there wasn't really reason to stick around. And now that she had more Pokemon she would need to do some research on how to train them. Good thing Santalune City had a library…

XxXxX

"Note to self_,"_ Josie mumbled as she shuffled into the Pokemon Center. "Do not leave my team unsupervised in a library."

The shiny Ralts had discovered picture books while Josie was busy trying to find some training techniques, and that was fine. What was less fine was when an employee saw Venus' interest in books, and read the little Ralts and the other two a story about a mighty general that out-smarted an enemy battalion and defeated them. That had led to the trio wreaking havoc in the library while they reenacted the story. Martzi the Eevee had claimed the role of the general, with Topaz and Venus as his soldiers, and everyone else in the library being 'the enemy'.

Since the librarian had known what happened, Josie didn't get in trouble, and the other patrons had found it funny, but it was still one heck of a mess to clean up. But, she had somehow bonded with her two newest Pokemon, and they seemed to like her well enough. Or the fun they'd had in the library.

She'd had to stop by a quaint little bookshop and pick out some picture and mythology books because her Pokemon now wanted story time; she'd managed to get them to agree to having only a story or part of one read to them before bed, instead of constantly. At least trainers got a stipend; well, beginner trainers did, to help fund their journey. That was the only reason she was able to get two books (one picture, one anthology) for each Pokemon. Her team were in their Pokeballs at the moment, having tired themselves out halfway through cleaning up the library.

Seeing her cousin sitting with Ash and co. in the cafeteria, she went over to the group, smiling in greeting as she was waved into the free chair at their table, next to Serena. "How did the training go?"

"I'm ready for tomorrow," Ash said firmly, his sienna eyes brimming with eagerness. "We won't lose this time!"

"What about you, Josie?" Bonnie asked, swinging her legs in her chair. She was a surprisingly tiny kid, but her boisterous demeanor more than made up for it. Dedenne chattered from its place atop her head. "Serena said you went looking for Pokemon today, did you find any?"

Josie nodded, a smile on her face as she thought about her two newest teammates. "I did, both of the types I was really hoping to get." She then made a face, her brain bringing up the memory of several bookshelves falling, her trio of cute troublemakers miming the enemy ship going down from atop the structure as it toppled over. "My newly expanded team then reenacted a story the librarian's assistant read them and wreaked havoc in the library while I was trying to do some research. That is why I'm late."

Alexa laughed at that, leaning forwards on the table to better meet her eyes, as the reporter was sitting across from Josie and next to Ash. "They sound like a lively bunch! You'll have your hands full, with a team like that."

"They're worth it, though," Josie said softly. Being in this world was worth any trouble her Pokemon made for her to deal with. Even following the show's plot－wait. "On a side note… I forgot to check earlier since we've only been traveling some one day routes, but… Serena, you brought camping gear, right?"

"Eh? N-no, I thought we'd just stay in the Pokemon Centers…?"

"There won't always be one within walking distance," she reminded her with a slightly exasperated smile. She's almost forgotten about the blonde's initial aversion to sleeping outdoors. "And its always better to have gear in case of emergencies."

Clemont nodded in agreement, along with the others. "Josie's right. We can help you find some good quality gear in town after Ash's Gym match, right guys?"

"Of course! Camping out is actually a lot of fun, Serena, and Clemont here is a really good cook," Ash added with a smile, and he was the only one who apparently could not see Serena's blush at the implication that they'd all be traveling together long enough to camp together.

Josie had the feeling that she was really going to enjoy her journey.

XxXxX

_I really need to try to focus more during Ash's battles,_ Josie thought guiltily as said trainer held up his new Bug Badge. Sure, she had seen it all before (even if just on a TV show), but they were traveling together now and zoning out for all of them would be rude. At least he won this time, though.

Giving Ash a thumbs up in congratulations, she absently tapped the tops of her Pokeballs, on the new trainer belt she'd bought early that morning. She didn't want to challenge Viola, not when she could barely focus through one battle that wasn't even her own. That would likely end in a humiliating defeat and she'd rather not put her Pokemon through that. If she had a focus problem she would need to work up from practice spars to actually test herself in proper battle; actually, she should get her team started on proper training. Topaz couldn't do official battles yet, and Venus and Martzi needed to get used to fighting _with_ her, instead of turning battles into historical event reenactments.

She'd tried a short spar this morning, before everyone else woke up. It had been… eye-opening. On the plus side, she knew her entire team could use their moves in unorthodox ways. Martzi especially. The Eevee had used his Swift attack to create a path of sorts, which he then ran over through the air, giving him all-around mobility. It was kind of awesome, really.

Shaking her head to clear it, she followed her group out of the Gym, heading back to the Pokemon Center so Ash could heal up his team. Actually, it was probably a good time to ask…

"Hey, Ash?" She hid a cringe when everyone turned to look at her as they walked. "You've been a trainer for a while, right?"

"Yeah, I started my journey when I was ten," he replied, curious as to what she was getting at.

"Do you think you could give me some tips on easing Topaz into training, since she's so young? And about getting newly caught Pokemon to work with you?"

"Oh, good idea Josie," Serena chirped. "Me too, I'm still not sure where to start."

Ash smiled at that, sharing a fond look with Pikachu that had Josie wondering if he was remembering May and Dawn at all. "Sure! Topaz is your Shinx, right? It's best to start with building up her muscles and endurance, by running laps and repeating her moves. The more she uses them the better she'll understand them. You can work on her accuracy doing that too, being able to actually hit your target is important. If you want, you two can join in on my next training session, so you can get a better idea of how to do it."

"Sounds good to me," Josie said, exchanging smiles with her cousin. She then turned back to the others, considering the options for a moment before nodding decisively. She couldn't keep slinking to the background, she needed to take a more active part in this journey. "Say, is it okay if we travel with you guys? I think we could learn a lot from experienced trainers, and you three are a lot of fun to be around."

Serena spluttered for a moment, face bright red, even as Bonnie squealed in delight. The little blonde hopped in place and beamed. "Yes, yes, you can totally travel with us, right big bro? Ash? It'll be fun!"

"Of course!" Clemont adjusted his glasses as he nodded, one hand on the strap of his bag. "The more the merrier, right Ash?"

"Absolutely! I was going to ask anyways," Ash admitted sheepishly, scratching his cheek and averting his eyes for just a moment. Remembering that in the show he attributed his Gym win to Serena's help, Josie hid a smug grin and clapped her hands.

"Great! Let's get Ash's team healed up and then go find Serena some camping gear like we said last night. Any suggestions?"

They then spent half an hour debating the type of gear Serena should get, while they waited for Nurse Joy to finish up. Apparently there were far more brands and models of bedrolls than Josie realized, and tents; she did suggest that they get a three-person tent for the girls to share, though, wanting to make sure they all had enough room. Then Serena wanted to get one of the really nice ones with solar panels, so she could charge her tablet during long trips on the road, and Clemont was quick to recommend a specific brand.

Of course, then Bonnie decided that they should all just pitch in to get a big tent (Serena's squeaked protest about privacy totally shot down by Bonnie's happy reply of 'clip on dividers!'), and even Josie had to admit it was technically safer. That way they'd definitely be aware of each other and if somebody went missing.

By the time the group actually went to the shop, found a big family sized tent and split the cost between the four teens, they really needed to get going. Josie volunteered to hold onto it, putting the tent in her biggest empty storage unit, and then asked where their next destination was.

Then she muffled a snort as the electric siblings tried to avoid them going back through Lumiose to get to Cyllage City. She hadn't even been expecting the resulting entertainment.

XxXxX

Josie took longer than she would have liked to remember that they were walking on a Ryhorn racing track. Before she could say anything, though, Clemont had asked Serena why she'd started a journey, and the honey blonde pulled out a blue handkerchief. Pausing to listen to the story of how she and Ash met, noting how while Josie herself was mentioned as having been there, it was still Ash who'd been the one who helped her cousin and led them both back to the camp ground, Josie almost missed the rumbling that signaled the approaching Ryhorn.

With a yelp, she grabbed her cousin's arm and swung her to the side, doing the same for Bonnie and ushering both boys to press against the high 'wall' of the course. Ignoring their surprise, she breathed a sigh of relief when the group of Ryhorn thundered past them without getting too close.

"What was that?" Ash exclaimed, pushing off the packed earth.

"It's a Ryhorn race," Serena said, eyes wide.

"Race?"

Before the girl could explain, Josie spotted Officer Jenny coming up the path, and hid a wince. She should have remembered this. It was probably time to write out everything she could recall from the show, just in case, maybe save it in notes on her Xtransceiver.

"What are you guys doing?!" Jenny demanded, pulling her motorcycle to a stop. "This place is off-limits for the general public. After all, we're on a Ryhorn race track!"

"Racetrack?" Ash blinked rapidly, and seeing the group's general confusion, Jenny sighed, and led them through a side path to a hill that overlooked a small town that served as a starting point for local races. They had passed through an alternate route on the way to Santalune, and so hadn't gone through Odyssey Village before. She explained how the race started at the plaza in the center of town, went through the forest, then circled back around to the plaza. There was already a crowd for the ongoing race, some watching on a large, standalone screen where an announcer's voice could be heard.

"Whoa, I've never seen a Ryhorn race before," Ash said, leaning over the fence eagerly.

"They're popular here in Kalos," Clemont commented.

"They look so intense!"

While Bonnie went off on a rant of how cute the Ryhorn were, Josie kept an eye on her cousin. Serena didn't seem uncomfortable, but she certainly didn't look interested. The other girl did step forwards to offer a trivia fact, though.

"Bigger towns have tracks dedicated to Ryhorn races," the blonde explained. "This here is just a standard track."

"Aunt Grace was a professional racer, so Serena's gotten to see a lot of it up close," Josie offered, knowing her cousin didn't want to seem like she wanted to race. This way, she would still be able to teach Ash about the racing, but not have to deal with any expectations, which Serena had told her quietly the day they left Vaniville were the worst sort of reminder that no one had ever expected her to have a dream of her own.

It worked, thankfully, and Ash requested Serena's help in learning about the Ryhorn so he could join the next day's race. The actual practice session for it was long and sort of boring to Josie, but she stuck around, since she'd already gone off doing her own thing before, and she figured it would seem rude to do that too often.

Instead, she gave her team some serious thought. So far she hadn't introduced Venus or Martzi to anyone, but it had only been a little over a day, and all three of her Pokemon were tired from staying up late due to a particularly long chapter from the Johto mythology book Martzi had wanted. Maybe tomorrow. Anyways, she really needed to figure out a basic training routine for them. She… also probably needed to put some thought and actual research into what she wanted to do.

After Delcatty's odd request, she'd considered something to do with music, but she had no idea how to compose or even play an instrument. Her team's strange love for historical reenactment made her wonder if she could do something with them for PokeVisions, even if it was just a fun little side channel or something, so if she found some music she could put to that…

Giggling a bit as Ash's flailing atop the playfully bucking Ryhorn caught her attention, she leaned on the fence. She'd figure something out. Probably. Though she really should have remembered about Team Rocket's attempt to steal all the Ryhorn.

XxXxX

Josie tried not to look like she was staring at Meyer's muscular arms at any point during their stay in Lumiose. She really, really tried. Fortunately, nobody realized that she had a silly teen crush on the deeply emotional man. Unfortunately, Bonnie noticed her staring (how observant _was_ that girl, anyways?) and called her out on it several times.

She really hoped they bought her stammered excuse of 'she just thought being strong was cool'. This kind of pointless crush was terrible blackmail material, she knew from experience. It was just… he was a big affectionate bear of a man and was it really so bad to find that attractive?

_Can it, you're fifteen now you creep,_ she scolded herself with a silent sigh. Ah well. She could look, at least. Plus, she was able to distract herself with the reclaiming of the Gym. Dodging stray bolts of electricity was very conducive to keeping her focus in the moment. Still, she had to admit that Clemont's skills were amazing, when his inventions didn't explode.

Clem-bot (she really hoped that boy got better about naming things, that was just terrible) got some sense beaten into him, and Clemont regained his Gym within a matter of hours. The fast-paced event made Josie wonder if that was how most of their time as a group was going to be, if she was remembering the show correctly.

She'd already begun creating a pair of timelines in her notes on her Xtransceiver, one for the major things (like the Team Flare incidents) and one for random bits she remembered, from both the TV show and the game. Another file was basically all her ideas for getting out of difficult situations. She reminded herself to look up if trainers were allowed to carry weapons for self defense, as a taser seemed like it wouldn't go amiss. Or maybe she could just make little pouches of chili powder to throw at anyone who tried to steal her Pokemon or hurt her friends, that was always a valid tactic.

Come to think of it… every time Team Rocket snatched Pokemon from trainers… why didn't the trainer just return their Pokemon if they still had their Pokeball? Aside from Pikachu, anyways… this required more thought and probably some reflex training. Shaking her head, she trailed after her travel group as they went to stop by Professor Sycamore's lab on the way out of Lumiose, on Serena's suggestion.

Josie was still having problems feeling comfortable integrating herself into the group. Serena and Bonnie got along like a house on fire, and the boys were similar in a different way, but her? She felt like she was intruding, still. Even though her cousin naturally included her in the conversations, it felt like if Josie was the one to speak up, it wouldn't be welcome. Why did making friends have to be so hard?

_I wish you were here, Nick,_ she thought, still fighting depression despite her promise. _You would have known what to do…_

"So you're all traveling together now!" Professor Sycamore's voice pulled her from her thoughts, and she realized that they'd already entered the lab. "What a wonderful idea!"

Struggling to stay focused, Josie followed the others to a lounge, making sure to grab one of Serena's macarons before a certain greedy grass type could devour the rest. Sophie, the lab assistant, made tea before everyone realized the treats were missing. Chomping noises alerted them to the Chespin in the corner, and Josie sighed as Sophie gently confronted the little Pokemon.

It ended with Clemont getting his hand stabbed by a sharp spine, and Sophie apologizing on the grass type's behalf, handing what remained of the macarons back to Serena. "He likes pranks, you see."

"Or just good food," Josie couldn't help but comment. The words made the others turn to her, but before she could even begin to feel embarrassed, a sharp pain lanced through her head, making her cringe. The knowledge of Team Rocket, bursting through the wall of the Pokemon enclosure, seemed to scream at her, and even as disoriented as she was she realized that it was about to happen.

"－osie? Josie, what's wrong? Wha… her eyes are glowing!"

"Team Rocket," Josie forced out, ignoring her cousin's gasp and whatever she'd said about glowing eyes. "They're gonna drive through the wall… steal data… gotta get to the Professor! Don't let them…"

The pressure behind her eyes skyrocketed, forcing a whimper out of her. It had been a long time since she'd ever felt pain like that, but she pushed past it as best she could. Sophie, she could tell by the blue wavy hair, hauled her up onto the sofa, while several sets of footsteps thundered away.

"Easy, Josie, easy, your friends are taking care of it," the woman soothed. She put something over the younger girl's eyes, and gently pushed her shoulders until she was lying down. "I'm going to get you some water, okay? Just stay right there."

Her words were almost lost, overpowered by the voice from the darkness before she woke up with a family.

'_We had to work in your knowledge of the timeline _somehow_… it's not much, but a little psychic talent was simple enough to grant. You won't be anywhere near as powerful as those like Sabrina or Olympia, but… well, don't let it go to waste. Sheer power doesn't always mean effectiveness.'_

By the time the pain finally eased to something she could handle, everything had already been taken care of. Serena had managed to prevent the professor from being taken, and Clemont had helped Chespin battle Team Rocket, holding them up long enough for Officer Jenny to arrive with backup. The trio still managed to escape, but didn't get what they'd come for.

Bonnie relayed it all with sweeping hand motions and sound effects, once they'd come back to the lounge, the professor in tow. Then she asked what apparently everyone had been wanting to.

"Josie, how did you know what was gonna happen?"

Glancing at her cousin, Josie bit her lip. Serena sat down beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, hand running through her hair. "Your eyes were glowing blue… is… was it like the time with Nick?"

Jerking at the mention of his name, Josie squeezed her eyes shut. God, this was still so _hard_, even with everything good that had happened… Taking a few shaky breaths, she tried to organize her thoughts. Clearly, something had happened in this world too where Nick didn't make it, but she didn't know how it was different from the way it happened in her original world. She had so many questions and no answers… shaking her head, she tried to speak.

"I… I don't know, I just saw it, _knew_ that they would… I was told I only had a little psychic talent," she said, though didn't say who told her because truthfully she had no idea, or when. "I didn't know I would… well, know what would happen in a few minutes… It's never happened before."

Which was also true, basically. She had never expected this, but in a way it made sense… if she was bringing knowledge from 'outside' of this world's timeline, it made sense for any higher powers to regulate it by working it in properly. She just had no idea what to do about it. It gave her a great excuse in case she accidentally said something suspicious, but still.

She'd sort of been hoping for a _simple_ journey.

"Psychic powers come in many forms and levels," Professor Sycamore mused. "You might find it helpful to visit Lady Olympia, the Anistar City Gym Leader, at some point. She's a powerful psychic, and she has been teaching others how to master their powers for years."

"I'll think about it," Josie said quietly, then turned her gaze to the Chespin, who'd been staring longingly at Clemont for the past ten minutes or so. Despite the change in events, it seemed the blond's feelings had still gotten across to the greedy little Pokemon. "… I'm sure that Chespin is staring at you for a reason, Clemont, but I don't know why."

"Eh? Where… ah, there you are. Thanks again for your help today, Chespin," Clemont smiled, adjusting his bag as he crouched to face the grass type properly. "You're an excellent Pokemon. Just try not to eat too much, okay? Let's meet again sometime!"

"Ches…! Chespin…" Chespin's eyes held a hesitant yet pleading look, and it fidgeted with its paws, shifting its weight. It glanced to the professor, then turned back to the Gym Leader, a low whine escaping its throat.

"It looks like Chespin would like to travel with you," Professor Sycamore said, sounding intrigued, then continued with a wink. "First Ash, then you… You're mysterious kids."

"I want to travel with Chespin too!" Bonnie exclaimed, tugging on her brother's jumpsuit. "Please! Please, please, pleeaasssee!"

Looking a little overwhelmed (though Josie didn't blame him, she was beginning to figure out that this manner of adding a Pokemon to one's team was _not_ normal), Clement rubbed the back of his neck. "In that case… Professor Sycamore, can I take Chespin with me?"

And thus another Pokemon joined the group.

XxXxX

"This is really good, Clemont," Josie said, only barely remembering to finish chewing and to swallow before speaking. She wasn't sure what the dish of orange noodles actually was, but it tasted delicious. It was about an hour after they'd stopped for lunch, and after Serena had promptly scolded her for not introducing Venus and Martzi properly until just then, but after the initial 'we're supposed to tell each other these things, _cousin_' Josie had gotten the idea and sheepishly promised not to wait before showing off any new Pokemon she caught.

It was just a little concerning that Martzi was apparently _already_ roping the other Pokemon into a reenactment of what looked like the legend of the Johto Beasts. Complete with dramatic death scenes and copious amounts of grass being ripped up and thrown around to represent Ho-oh's Sacred Fire－or so she assumed, she'd lost track of the plot a few minutes ago. She figured it was better than having Fennekin actually breathe fire everywhere.

Though, something about this scene felt… familiar… Josie could have smacked herself. She was pretty sure this was the 'episode' with the two Pancham food thieves. As she thought that, Froakie threw some of his frubbles into the trees, causing everyone to look over. Josie stayed in her chair as the others got up to investigate, and were startled by the two pandas rolling out of the bushes. While Ash wiped off their faces of the frubbles, Josie leaned back, trying to remember how the episode went.

The Pancham were just acting cute so they could steal food, Team Rocket was going to try to－okay _ow_, why the heck was every thought involving them painful now and accompanied by a flare of pressure behind her eyes, that _hurt_－capture their Pangoro friend… whose twig got burned by accident so the gang had to go find a new one from its favorite bamboo stalk… Ash does something physically improbable and saves the day… Rockets blast off…

Blinking slowly as her vision focused again, Josie was relieved to see that nobody had noticed her sudden lapse in awareness. Clemont had just whipped out his translator thing, and she snorted when it clearly explained that the two Pancham were aiming to take all their food. Good thing she had already stocked up on some protein bars and bags of dried fruit, safely inside one of the storage compartments of her bag. They'd need those later.

Mentally preparing herself, she stayed quiet during the debate about the machine's accuracy, and when Serena gave them their own bowls of Pokemon food. Then she waited until they'd gobbled up the other Pokemons' food, jumped onto the picnic table to try and devour the _human's_ food, before her hands shot out, grabbing both by the scruff, to their shock. All that stray cat wrangling with the feral ones behind the orphanage shed was finally paying off.

"And to think, my cousin thought you were adorable," she said cheerfully, finally standing, keeping her grip firm on the two Pokemon. As she had hoped, they were instinctively curling up at the method of transport, much like a kitten would. They glowered at her, but when she simply gave them an unimpressed look, they gave in rather quickly. Probably still young, then? "Clemont, maybe we should clean up really quick. These two will probably keep trying to steal all our food unless it's where they can't get to it. Don't argue," she said sternly when the two Pancham flailed and protested. "You already took everyone else's food, even after Serena gave you a good portion because she's nice. By the way, everybody get to the edges of the tree line, quickly. And look up."

Her companions looked up first, but were luckily fast enough to grab the Pokemon and move out of the way of Team Rocket's net. Topaz darted to her side, the other two not far behind, and the two Pancham were too startled to try escaping. Glaring up at the trio she had liked far more when they weren't actual, living people, Josie huffed.

"Serena, can you return my team for me? My hands are a little full," she bit out even as Jessie ranted about how they shouldn't have been able to see the capture device coming. Her cousin hurriedly did as requested, tucking her three Pokeballs into her bag, also returning Fennekin and pocketing her Pokeball. Bonnie had Dedenne jump into her little bag, but the boys kept their Pokemon out, though they were keeping a close eye on the hot air balloon. Since Jessie was still yelling, Josie slid closer to the boys. "Maybe we can blast them off while she's still going on?"

Ash hesitated, then shrugged, apparently not all that bothered by not even giving Team Rocket a chance to try again, though he hadn't had the idea himself. "Sounds good. Pikachu, Thunderbolt."

"Pika!" With more speed than Josie was really expecting, the Electric type blasted a hole in the balloon, sending it careening wildly away. In the distance there was an explosion.

"... Perfect," Josie said flatly, then returned her attention to the suddenly wary-looking Pancham, still being held up by their scruffs. "It's fine to ask for food, but don't try to steal from us. I can literally see a loaded berry bush from where I'm standing, you _have_ food you can get easily without stealing. I'm going to put you both down now, but if you go for my lunch I am going to be very irritated with you, and respond accordingly. Have I made myself clear?"

The Pancham shared a glance, then sulkily nodded. When she let them go, they made for the bushes without fuss, no doubt already satisfied with the amount of Pokemon food they'd already eaten, if a little miffed at how they'd been caught. Sighing, Josie propped her hands on her hips. They'd only showed up like twice and she was already sick of it.

"Should we get moving in case those jerks try to come back for more? Well, no, we have time before they recover from that… let's finish eating. Honestly, the next time I see those three and we're all on solid ground I am going to deck at _least_ Jessie…"

Serena stared at her for a long moment. "They really made you mad, huh?"

"Well, yeah. I hate thieves. I guess it's a good thing I have that bit of future-seeing psychic thing, if they're going to keep going at it," Josie grumbled, letting her Pokemon back out and apologizing for the sudden return. Venus seemed the most put out, but was appeased by the offer for the trio to have the rest of Josie's noodles. The little Ralts had been fairly quiet so far, but now she seemed to have decided that she didn't want to be inside her Pokeball for a while. Seeing it as a chance to bond with her, and the other two not arguing, Josie let Topaz and Martzi know that once they were done eating and they were going to start walking again, she'd return them.

"So you saw that they were gonna try and steal our Pokemon again?" Ash asked, everyone sitting back down, though with more attention to their surroundings this time.

"Just a minute before they tried. I knew those Pancham were going to try to steal all our food, and the Rocket dorks were just the last part of what I saw."

"Did it hurt again? You seem fine…" Serena looked her over carefully, as if there would be a physical sign of pain.

Shrugging slightly, beginning to get the hang of quick, partial BS explanations, Josie replied, "Only a bit, like a short but intense headache. It wasn't as bad as last time, so maybe it's just now that this future-sight thing is happening it'll get better with time."

"It was a good thing you knew," Bonnie chirped, patting Dedenne's head. "Everyone's safe because of it."

"I hope I can keep it up, then," Josie said quietly, patting Venus' head. She smiled in response, then went back to slurping up the noodles, earning a soft laugh from her trainer. She really had lucked out with her Pokemon. Now she just needed to do her part, and keep them safe.

XxXxX

Sighing as the rest of the newly-evolved Vivillon flew off into the sunset, Josie wished she had been quick enough to ask if any of them wanted to come with her. Unfortunately she'd been too dazzled by all the pretty wing patterns, and by the time she got her brain under control, they were already flying away. Venus patted her head from where she was perched on her shoulder sympathetically; she could probably feel Josie's longing.

"We'll get one to join the team eventually," Josie told her quietly.

Serena gasped, drawing everyone's gaze to her, and she looked sheepish as she apologized. "It's just, I just remembered that Josie's been wanting to get a Vivillon… sorry, I should have remembered sooner."

"It's fine, I was too slow to ask any of them anyways," she replied, waving off her cousin's guilty expression. It wasn't like it was the blonde's fault. "I'll probably find a Spewpa somewhere else… I can look up spots near where we're already going that they've been seen at, so it's no big deal."

Bonnie took one last look at the fading specks in the distance, frowning slightly, but then turned back to Josie, blue eyes bright. "How do you look up where Pokemon live? At the Pokemon Center?"

"Well, some of them have pamphlets that tell you what kind of Pokemon are normally nearby, but I synced my Xtransceiver to my PokeDex, and it lets me search specific Pokemon by name and tells me where they like to live using the Xtransceiver's GPS. That's how I found Martzi and Venus, here," she added, leaning her head slightly against the Ralts', though just barely so she didn't knock the little Psychic/Fairy type off her shoulder. Venus nodded, so Topaz must have told her about when Josie showed her the pictures of their 'goals' using her PokeDex.

"What? I didn't know you could do that," Ash said, looking a little annoyed at himself. After a moment, Josie forced down a laugh, remembering how he'd been trying to catch a Dunsparce for at least a few seasons. This probably would have helped him a lot.

"That's useful, though," Clemont piped up, eyeing her Xtransceiver. "Would you mind if I take a look at it, later? Maybe I can replicate it."

"Sure." If the boy genius wasn't concerned about copyright, she wouldn't worry either. And she had moved her notes over to her PokeDex earlier (easier to see) and had them password protected, so she didn't need to worry about Clemont seeing her still-in-progress timeline. That conversation finished, and after being thanked by Officer Jenny for helping out, they began making their way back to the Pokemon Center.

While Bonnie and Serena chatted about the different wing patterns they'd seen on the Vivillon, Josie reached up to pull Venus from her shoulder, opting to carry her in her arms instead. So far, Venus had shown herself to be a sweet, affectionate Pokemon with a slight flair for dramatics that could be fanned into a fiery passion for plays by Martzi. Actually, that might just be a Martzi thing, being able to rope others into his historical reenactments and somehow making them enjoy it.

"So, Venus," she began, mentally reviewing the plan she'd been putting together. "Considering how much trouble we're likely to run into in this group, I think it'd be good for you to learn Magical Leaf. How's that sound?"

"Ra ralts," she nodded agreeably. Then Venus seemed to focus, frowning just slightly. _'Affirmation. Danger. Preparation.'_

Josie felt proud of herself for not dropping her little friend in shock, at the quiet, whispery voice that echoed in her mind. It was a good thing she didn't, because the effort of psychic communication obviously tired Venus, though she added in a clearer voice, _'Will practice, easier with your latent ability.'_

"Okay," Josie said softly, hugging her. There was just something… indescribable about hearing her own Pokemon's voice for the first time. "Just don't push yourself too hard. I'll see if I can figure out how to practice too, so it's not such a one-way task." If she could learn telepathy that would… probably be a really useful thing, especially considering what was going to happen in the future. It would also just be really awesome to be able to talk to her Pokemon.

Venus nodded, relaxing in her grip with a yawn, and then for all intents and purposes seemed to fall asleep. The first attempt at telepathy must have taken more out of her than Josie realized, so… stamina training, for her psychic powers, would be a definite must. She'd have to do some more research, though Teleport was also something she wanted Venus to be able to use many times in a row, as well. It would be a good dodging tactic, and if she could get to the point where she could take passengers, it would be an extra layer of safety.

Especially, if she remembered correctly, as Ash was going to jump into an _active volcano_ after his Talonflame, now Fletchling. Well, maybe Teleport was optional there, if they could get Venus to the point where she could lift heavy things with psychic power. She'd read tons of fanfiction that had ideas on how to train for that, so it was worth a shot. She also need to help Venus unlock her two egg moves, Confuse Ray and Shadow Sneak. Two Ghost type egg moves was a pretty lucky win on their part.

With a solid idea of how to work with Venus, her thoughts turned to the rest of her little team. Martzi needed new moves, as he only had two. Disarming Voice would complement his teammates nicely, but some of what he would learn as an Eevee would be decided depending on what he wanted to evolve into. She wanted him to have decent coverage even against a type he was weak against. That was something she'd need to talk about with him, then, see if he had an idea of what he wanted to become. General coverage moves would be easy to pick out, though. Disarming Voice, Shadow Ball, Dig, and Quick Attack were definitely on the list of possibles.

As for Topaz, Thundershock was the next move she wanted her starter to learn, in addition to basic conditioning. The Shinx was still young, so she wouldn't have a lot of power backing her for some time, so Josie figured it was best to have her perfect all her current moves and then wait before trying to teach her anything but Thundershock. After that, though, Hidden Power was a must for coverage, plus she was pretty sure Serena's Fennekin already knew it.

By the time they'd made it back to the Pokemon Center, Josie's brain hurt. She'd tried to hammer out more specifics for her training plans, and keep-everyone-safe plans, and was mentally exhausted. Returning the still-napping Venus, she asked Nurse Joy to give her team a checkup before following the others to the cafeteria. She slumped into her chair, covering a yawn, and quietly thanked her cousin when the other girl brought her some food.

"You doing okay?" Serena asked, reaching over to push Josie's hair behind her ears.

"Just tired. I'm still not used to so much walking, and I was thinking pretty hard about how to train my team," she admitted. "Plus, I was trying to think of anything I could do to maybe get some sort of control over whatever bit of psychic ability I have."

"I think Sabrina's psychic school back in Kanto did a lot of meditating," Ash offered, already halfway through his meal. "And your Ralts is part psychic, too, maybe try meditating together?"

"A logical suggestion," Clemont nodded, and then snapped his fingers in realization. "I forgot! Since I am Gym leader, I can send Lady Olympia a request on your behalf, she might have some sort of training exercise for human psychics she could have you do until you can see her in person. Would you like me to do so?"

Somewhat flustered, Josie managed to nod. "I－yeah, thanks. It means a lot."

The blond only smiled at her, before his attention was pulled away by Bonnie nearly falling out of her chair due to her energetic wiggling. Snorting at that, Josie turned back to Serena and Ash.

"You were going to train some while we were here, right Ash?" When he nodded, she glanced over at her cousin. "Do you mind us training with you?"

"Of course not, the more the merrier! Either of you up for a battle?"

Josie thought about it. Topaz wasn't quite ready yet, though maybe in another week or two, and Venus was too tired. But Martzi would probably be up for it. "Can we do a double battle? Me and Serena versus you and Clemont?"

"That sounds like a wonderful idea," Clemont nodded.

"Let's do that after we eat, then," Serena agreed. "That gives our Pokemon some time to rest up and be ready for it."

There were no protests to that, and the group made their way through the buffet line to grab their meals, Josie falling quiet and simply listening as Ash and Clemont tried to explain the details of battling to Serena and herself. Really, though, aside from the obvious rules－which were basically the logical 'don't attack an already fainted Pokemon', 'stay inside the battlefield', 'don't attack your teammate in a double battle', etc－it was all about experience.

Chewing on her buttered roll, Josie mentally reviewed the moves that Martzi knew. He had Swift and Tackle down perfectly, but not much else, as his two egg moves were still 'locked' and he only had a vague grasp on Disarming Voice. Meaning, he could get a very low powered version off pretty reliably, but anything stronger was a 50/50 chance as she'd found the one time she had asked her small team to show off their moves.

Still, Martzi was good at moving around large spaces quickly and unpredictably thanks to his running-on-Swift technique. At the very least she should be able to keep Ash and Clemont's attention off of Serena and Fennekin long enough for her cousin to fire off some attacks－and avoid Martzi being hit while they were at it.

Bonnie, excited to see the battle, had urged the group to hurry up and finish eating, leading the way to the field behind the Pokemon Center once they'd put their dishes in the bin at the back of the cafeteria. After retrieving her team from Nurse Joy, Josie followed, eyeing the field before glancing back at the group. Dedenne was clinging to the top of the little blonde's head as she bounced in place. Unable to hide her laugh at the young girl's enthusiasm, Josie joined Serena on one side of the field, Martzi's Pokeball in hand.

"We'll do a two vs two," Ash called from across the field. "You guys can have the first move!"

Releasing Martzi as Serena let out her Fennekin, Josie took a few deep breaths. Now she would see how she handled real battling, and find out if she wanted to be a battle-focused trainer. Martzi eyed his surroundings with a curious noise, tail wagging when he saw Fennekin next to him.

"We're going to battle, Martzi," she informed him quickly. "Serena and Fennekin are with us, and we're up against Clemont, Ash, and their Pokemon."

Who happened to be Bunnelby and Pikachu. Her Eevee nodded his understanding, bouncing a bit on his paws with a chirp. Fennekin seemed to take confidence from Martzi's apparently relaxed state, settling into a front-facing crouch to ready herself for battle.

"Let's do our best, Josie," Serena said, her hands curling into fists.

She nodded in reply, suddenly dry mouthed. "Yeah."

It was Bonnie who bounded to the traditional place for referees, arms pinwheeling in her excitement. "This will be a two on two battle, Ash and my big brother verses Serena and Josie! The battle's over when one side has no more Pokemon that can battle!" She glanced over at Clemont hopefully, and he grinned at her, nodding in approval. Beaming, Bonnie lifted her arm. "Ready… start!"

"We go first, right?" Serena exclaimed. "Fennekin, use Ember!"


	2. How The Seasons Change - Ch 1

Waking up had been difficult, waves of pure agony making her want to either stay unconscious or roll over and die immediately. Vaguely, she was aware of her body being _wrong_, but she was in too much pain to care. Her ears rang, voices fading in and out as she tried to inhale, only to let out a low whimper as her ribs screamed in protest.

"Sshh, it's okay Eevee," a voice crooned. "I need you to lie still. Can you do that for me?"

She wanted to snap at the voice for the patronizing tone, but lacked the energy. She couldn't even move, why would this person think she'd try to run off somewhere? Her irritation grew as another wave of pain crashed over her. It overloaded her senses, pulling into the welcome relief of emptiness as she fainted.

XxXxX

"Nurse Joy, how's she doing?"

The pink-haired woman looked over as she returned to the lobby, smiling gently at the man who'd spoken. "Much better, Professor. Her injuries have been fully treated, and she'll need to be cared for until she recovers fully, but she's a fighter. She'll pull through. We've had to keep her sedated due to how much pain she was in, poor thing, but she should be waking up soon and normal pain medication will take care of the rest. It's a good thing Ash brought her to us when he did, or she might not have made it. To think Team Skull would go so far…"

"We've been too relaxed in dealing with them, and it lead to incidents like this…" Kukui shook his head mournfully, recalling the scene Ash had described earlier. To fire bullets at an already injured Pokemon, laughing as it screamed… His fists curled up tightly. "Will you let me know when Eevee will be discharged? I'll bring her home with me. Ash's been worried about her, too, as well as the rest of my students."

"Of course," Joy nodded. "I'll call the lab as soon as she's cleared to go."

Thanking the woman one last time, Kukui left the Pokemon Center, jaw clenched. He was a Pokemon Professor because he loved Pokemon, because he loved learning more about them; to discover just what cruelty those teens had inflicted on that Eevee… It made his blood boil. Not only that, but the way those members of Team Skull had tossed around Eevee's small body like a bloody rag doll after they'd run out of bullets, in front of a group of horrified children, no less!

He was immensely proud of Ash for jumping in as soon as he'd come across the scene. The boy had intercepted a toss, cradling Eevee in his arms as he ordered his Pikachu to get rid of the Skull Grunts before sprinting for the Pokemon Center. Kukui had never seen the boy more upset, and he didn't blame him one bit. Ash had spent hours scrubbing viciously at the blood on his shirt, a futile effort, considering how much there'd been. However, Kukui was aware the boy had known that, but needed some sort of outlet for the feelings he was experiencing in the aftermath.

With a sigh, the man trudged up the steps to his house, opening the door to see Ash curled up on the couch, all four of his current team cuddled up to him. Rockruff greeted him with a soft _whuff_, but didn't move from her spot against Ash's leg.

It took the boy a long moment to realize Kukui was there, but when he did he sat up. "How's Eevee?"

"She'll make a full recovery, with time," Kukui replied, noting how Ash's shoulders sagged with relief. "Nurse Joy will call when Eevee's ready to be discharged, and she'll stay with us at least until she's healed up." The man's lips curled up into a tired smile as the boy celebrated with his Pokemon.

Perhaps that Eevee would find a home with this boy, too, like so many other Pokemon had already done.

XxXxX

She couldn't remember her name.

Not that it was as important as dealing with the fact that she was now an Eevee. She knew damn well she'd been a human－hazy memories of playing with her siblings, challenging them at different video games, and the occasional fist fight with at least one brother assured her of that－but she couldn't remember her name. Or her family's names, or even what they had looked like.

She knew Pokemon had been one of the games she and her siblings used to play together.

While she still couldn't wrap her head around it, she decided to go with the flow for now. Wondering why and how she'd ended up in a world she'd thought only existed on a screen wouldn't help her.

From eavesdropping on Nurse Joy, she'd discovered she'd been attacked and almost killed by the group of wannabe gangsters, Team Skull. A gun had been involved, and she'd been saved by a young trainer. As the days passed, she remembered flashes of light, pain, and blurred surroundings, accompanied by brief periods of weightlessness. She also remembered black hair and the sound of thunder, but that was all. She didn't try to remember more, either.

So she simply let Nurse Joy treat her injuries with strange technology and more familiar bandages. A ring of floating flowers that ended up being a Pokemon called Comfey also would come visit her throughout the day.

Comfey was extremely gentle with her, which she appreciated, and it was only thanks to its Sweet Scent that she didn't flip out when she understood its words.

"_You're recovering well,"_ it had commented as Joy replaced her bandages, somehow simultaneously saying its own name on repeat, _"so you should be released within a couple weeks. Don't hesitate to let me know if you need something!"_

"_... Okay,"_ was all she'd been able to respond with, though it came out as, "Eevee". Even now, two weeks later, she still stuck to short responses when directly addressed. She wasn't trying to be rude, but it was better than just opening her mouth and screaming endlessly. This reality was still slowly sinking in.

She did try to greet Nurse Joy whenever the woman came to check on her, a short _"Hi"_ that came out as a tiny "Vee". Every time, Joy smiled and patted her head, usually brushing her ears slightly as well. The ears that she didn't really know how to work. Her entire body was foreign, and she wasn't confident in her ability to walk properly－not that she could even try, with her injuries. She was allowed to stand, and then crawl to the other side of the bed she was on, but that was it.

At least the Pokemon food she was given, while unappetizing in appearance, smelled and tasted fine. Like some kind of dry cereal. The litter box had been… an experience. She wasn't sure how to deal with the awkwardness of using it, but hey, it was better than nothing.

She'd been out of her medically-induced coma for about two and a half weeks when Nurse joy came in with a trolley. Glancing at the woman curiously, she didn't struggle or protest as she was carefully moved to the cart.

"You're well enough to be discharged, with regular checkups," the woman said cheerfully, reaching out to stroke her sensitive ears. "Professor Kukui and Ash will be taking care of you from now on, you're in good hands."

Those names sounded familiar. Were they in the Pokemon games she used to play? Her memories were too distant to be sure, though she'd tried to recall more. She could remember some of the basic things about the Pokemon world, but not much, although it was anyone's guess as to how accurate her memories actually were.

Sighing, she glanced around as Joy wheeled her out to what she recognized as the lobby of the Pokemon Center. Waiting there was a shirtless man in weird capris and a white lab coat, and a boy with black hair and z-shaped markings on his cheeks.

Blinking, she realized he was the one who had saved her, him and the Pikachu on his shoulder.

"Here she is," Joy announced, causing the two males to turn and face them. "She still has stitches, so she shouldn't walk around much until I remove them. If you'll hang on just a moment, I'll print out her care guide, Professor."

While Joy and Kukui talked, Ash bent down slightly to her eye level. "Hi, Eevee! You look so much better now."

"_What, did I look ugly before?"_ She snarked before she could stop herself, tilting her head when Pikachu chuckled.

The electric type hopped down from his perch on Ash's shoulder, settling a small distance away from her on the trolley._ "If your healed enough to make jokes, that's a good thing! We were really worried about you, Eevee."_

"_You… were the ones who saved me, right?"_ She didn't like thinking about what little she remembered, but she was grateful to them._ "Thank you."_

"_Any time!"_ Pikachu held his arm up like some kind of salute before they were interrupted by Kukui.

"Looks like they get along well, don't you think, cousin?" the man grinned, before addressing her directly. "We'll be taking care of you from now on, Eevee. Don't worry about anything but getting better, alright?"

She nodded, and allowed herself to be picked up by the man without any struggle. Humans were so big to her now, it was still strange having such a tiny body. Best not to test her luck or strength, and let them do what they needed to.

"She's pretty docile," Kukui noted with slight surprise. "Is that the pain medication?"

"Not as far as I can tell," Joy replied. "She just seems to be very calm, although she'd not very talkative or outgoing. She doesn't avoid being touched, but she hasn't sought it out either. She's never been registered to a Pokeball, but it's highly unlikely that she was wild. Perhaps a companion Pokemon, to an older individual?"

She glanced up as Kukui glanced down, their eyes meeting as she was tucked in the crook of his arm.

"_I was a human,"_ she said bluntly, causing Pikachu to gasp in surprise. _"But I don't think that matters anymore."_

"_A human? You mean you somehow got turned into an Eevee?"_ Pikachu exclaimed._ "How is that possible?"_

Twisting her neck to look at the yellow Pokemon, she thought for a moment, before deciding she truly didn't give a shit who knew. _"I dunno. I don't remember all that much, and I have no idea how I got turned. I'm just lucky you guys saved me, and that Kukui is willing to take care of me."_

"_Oh…" _Pikachu said no more, clearly deep in thought, though he quickly reassured Ash that everything was fine when the trainer asked.

She zoned out for a bit, then, seeing no point in paying attention as the humans discussed whatever it was they were discussing. Honestly, she just wanted to take a nap, but was trying to hold off, at least until she got settled at the new location she would be taken to.

She didn't have to wait long, as Kukui and Ash hurried her back to the professor's house within a half hour. From her spot on Kukui's arm, she took in the scenery. At least the air was nice, the weather warm. There were tons of blossoming plants, bright and large in their tropical environment.

_Fucking nice flowers,_ she thought sagely as they passed a bush of brilliant red hibiscus. _Looking all nice for everyone. Keep it up, you fucking sun-eaters._

Sun-eaters. What a metal term for plant life.

… Maybe the pain killers were making her a little weird.

Kukui's house was clean, which slightly surprised her, though she didn't know why. A small group of Pokemon rushed to greet the humans and she glanced down at them curiously.

"Hey, everyone," Ash laughed as Litten, Rockruff, and Rowlet jumped at him, nearly knocking him down. "I want you guys to meet Eevee, she'll be staying with us, so be nice to her, okay?"

Pikachu piped up, though the humans couldn't understand his words as he jumped to the floor. _"She's injured, so everyone be careful!"_

"_I can do that!"_ Rockruff barked, tail wagging hard enough to shake her entire body as she craned her neck upwards. _"Hi, Eevee!"_

She blinked down at the hyper Pokemon, not sure if she was annoyed by or simply unused to such energy. _"Hi,"_ she replied from Kukui's hold. _"Sup?"_

Litten inspected her for a moment, before judging that she was apparently worth responding to. _"Nice to meet you,"_ he said as his tail waved slightly before he walked away.

"_... Same,"_ she said. She didn't have much of an opinion of these guys. Rowlet either, since he totally ignored her in favor of Ash (which she didn't actually mind)._ "What__－__whoa,"_ she winced as Kukui shifted her, jostling her in just the wrong way when he moved.

"Sorry about that, Eevee," the professor patted her head as he walked to the couch, where a small cushion was wrapped in a white sheet. He carefully set her down on top of it. She waved her tail dismissively. It wasn't really an issue, the pain meds hadn't yet begun to wear off so it had been manageable.

Pikachu hopped up to sit next to her. _"Miss Joy said you should try to sleep, it'll help you feel better,"_ the yellow mouse Pokemon informed her. _"Do you want one of us to stay with you? Sometimes there's a draft in that spot, so I could keep you warm."_

She blinked, but figured it must have been said while she was zoning out. And she _was _pretty tired. _"If you want, I don't mind,"_ she allowed. _"Just don't move around too much, at least without warning me."_

"_Sure thing!"_ Pikachu agreed, curling up behind her, lending her the warmth from his furred body. It sort of surprised her how okay she was with it, but she wasn't sure if it was because of her still hazy past or not. Either way, Pikachu was warm, and her body relaxed, eyes closing. He seemed trustworthy enough.

XxXxX

Ash looked on, smiling, as Eevee went straight to sleep next to his partner. He was relieved she seemed so comfortable around Pikachu, since he'd been worried she might not be open to anyone after what happened to her.

"I guess it's a good thing she's so relaxed," he told the professor, who chuckled.

Kukui entered the kitchen, after seeing it was already noon and his young charges would no doubt voice their hunger soon. "It is." He agreed as he began to prepare lunch. "She should be fine to bring to the school tomorrow, as long as we keep a close eye on her."

Nodding, Ash sat on the floor, propping himself up in the couch cushions as he gazed at Eevee, snoozing several feet away. There was something strange about her, but he just couldn't figure out what. She just looked a little different from other Eevees he'd seen. Eyebrows furrowing as he studied her, it finally clicked.

Unlike other Eevees, her fur wasn't simply brown with paler coloring on her neck fur and tail. Her chocolate-colored fur had many, though faint, golden highlights that turned her an almost honey color. It wasn't obvious, which was probably why no one had mentioned it, but now that he saw it he realized it gave her a sort of faint marbled pattern. Her pale neck fur had the barest tints of it, as well.

"Hey, Professor, is this Eevee some kind of alternate color? Her fur has all sorts of gold highlights in it, it's really cool!"

"Really?" The older man left the kitchen for a moment to check, eyes widening when Ash pointed out the most prominent. "You're right, she does. She might be! You've got good eyes, cousin, I hadn't even noticed."

Humming in thought, Ash wondered what she would look like if she ever evolved. Would her fur keep the golden highlights? Absently, he reached out to scratch behind her ears, earning a rumbling purr. Grinning, he offered the same treatment to Pikachu before leaving them to rest in peace.

XxXxX

The Pokemon School was interesting, she would admit, and it surprisingly wasn't all that loud. There only seemed to be a handful of students, at least in the class she was brought to, and most of the Pokemon themselves were well-behaved. Even if Snowball was a little snobbish (in an innocent way that ticked her off more than if it had been intentional). Most of them were friendly, though.

The students, as well. They all expressed their relief that she was healing up well, and she didn't protest the petting session that occurred. She was curious about Lillie's distance, but when she asked Pikachu explained that Lillie was afraid of touching most Pokemon. So far, the blonde was only able to touch Snowball and Pikachu, but she was working on it.

Nodding in understanding, she gazed on during the lesson from her pillow on Ash's desk. Kukui was teaching the students about the Pokemon ability Synchronize. Her ears perked up as the lesson went on. Passing on certain status conditions to the one that gave it, huh? It sounded useful. And fun.

Kukui noticed her attentiveness, and chuckled. "You know, one of Eevee's evolutions has this ability. If she evolves into an Espeon, her Adaptability will automatically become Synchronize."

Her ears stood straight up. Seriously? That sounded like excellent means for revenge!

"_Espeon, huh? Means I'd probably need a trainer. Ash!"_ She craned her neck to face the young teen, forgetting he couldn't understand her. _"Evolve me!"_

"You like that idea?" Ash, having been able to pick up on her general meaning anyways, grinned at her while scratching behind her ears. She nodded sharply.

The thought of evolving made shiver with excitement, though she wasn't entirely sure why. But she was determined to find out by doing just that.

XxXxX

She quickly discovered that nothing was going to happen until she had recovered. She was pretty much on lock down, forbidden from moving on her own unless it was absolutely necessary. Seeing as she was still injured, she couldn't even sneak out to get a breath of fresh air without a human practically breathing down her neck; if it wasn't Ash, it was Kukui, neither male letting her out of their sight.

She appreciated their help, she really did, but it was frustrating. At least Pikachu gave her space when she asked for it. He was easy to relax around, and didn't need a lot of effort to keep a conversation going.

The other Pokemon were pretty easy to handle, too. Even the ever-excitable Rockruff. She had to admit, the puppy-like Pokemon's near constant enthusiasm was endearing, despite her initial worries that she would find it annoying.

That was all during the day though. At night, the other Pokemon either went back into their Pokeballs or slept in the loft area with Ash, leaving her alone on the couch. She tucked her paws underneath her body and sighed, eyes drawn back to the ladder that led to Ash again and again. Annoyed with herself－she was always thinking that she needed her space, but couldn't stand to be alone－she tried to sleep, only for the realm of blessed unconsciousness to prove elusive, and as the hours crept by she eventually gave up.

The wave of loneliness and grief was sudden.

What was she even doing here? Why had she been brought to this world? Who was she, and where was the family she barely remembered but missed so much her heart ached? Nothing made sense, but there was nothing she could do, and it frustrated her to no end. She wanted nothing more than to have her memories back, to at least put an end to the endless questions that she had tried to ignore.

The one thing that had kept her going so far was Ash's kindness. Pikachu's, as well, but there was something about the human boy that made her long for his attention. She wasn't exactly jealous of Pikachu's bond with his trainer, but she wanted a strong bond like that, too. Something to tie her to this place, give her a stable foothold after the metaphorical carpet was ripped out from under her paws.

A shaky inhale turned into a sniffle, and before she knew it hot tears were rolling down the fur on her cheeks. She wanted to go home, but she didn't know where or what that was. Burying her face in her paws, she shook with repressed whimpers.

"Eevee…?" Ash's unusually soft voice caused her head to fly up, wide eyes following him as he climbed down the ladder, surefooted and silent. "What's the matter?"

She sniffed, ears lowered as her gaze fell to the floor. What was the matter, indeed. A warm hand smoothed over the top of her head, and Ash knelt on the floor beside the couch. She silently despaired that he couldn't understand her, wanting to tell him she was lonely but knowing trying would be futile. A few more tears escaped.

He studied her for a long moment, before he lowered his chin onto the couch cushions. "Are you injuries acting up?"

Shaking her head, she couldn't help but try anyways. _"I don't want to be alone,"_ she whined, but the sounds that emerged were nothing that a normal human would understand.

"... You're lonely?"

Her eyes widened; he'd somehow managed to guess anyways? Slowly, she nodded, sniffling again. He smiled at her, nails gently scratching behind her ears.

"Wanna come up to the loft with me?" He asked, chuckling when she nodded frantically. "Alright, come on."

Careful not to agitate her still healing belly and sides, he scooped her off the couch and carried her up the ladder to the loft. Pikachu, having been patiently waiting for Ash to come back, nuzzled her face after the boy had resettled, with an arm curled around her to keep her against his torso so she didn't fall off the futon.

The electric mouse snuggled up beside her, sleepily rubbing some tears out of her fur. _"Is this better?"_

She nodded, face squished against Pikachu's side. _"Mmhm."_

Maybe it was the new warmth surrounding her, but she was able to fall asleep within minutes.

XxXxX

When Kukui got up in the morning to check on the Eevee, he only panicked for a moment upon seeing that she was no longer on the couch. A quick check in the loft confirmed that she was still safe, sleeping peacefully as she cuddled up to Pikachu and Ash, and with a grin the professor crept back down the ladder to start on breakfast. The smell of cooking food soon brought his young charge to the kitchen, Pikachu on his shoulder and Eevee secure in his arms.

"Morning, Professor," Ash yawned, settling onto the couch as Rowlet, Litten, and Rockruff went to greet him. Eevee stayed quiet but returned the gentle nudges she received from Rowlet and Rockruff. Mostly, though, her focus was on Pikachu and Ash.

"Morning. Did you bring Eevee to the loft with you last night? Just making sure she wasn't climbing that ladder," he added quickly, not wanting the boy to think he'd done anything wrong.

Ash nodded, one hand buried in her neck fluff. "She was crying last night because she was lonely, so I just carried her up."

_Lonely?_ "That was kind of you, Ash. I'm sure she's grateful."

"Vee," Eevee chirped, as if to agree, craning her neck to look up at the boy.

"Pika, pikapi?"

"Vee, eevee vee."

Pikachu laughed, sliding down Ash's shoulders to curl around Eevee. Kukui hid a smile, pleased that the small fox-like Pokemon had found a good friend. The thought reminded him of what he'd been wanting to talk to the black-haired boy about, and he leaned across the counter, calling for Ash's attention.

"That Eevee really has taken a liking to you," he began, "so I've been meaning to ask if you wanted to catch her. She can't train much until she's fully recovered, but she's gotta be strong to survive what she did. What do you think?"

Ash blinked, slack-jawed like the thought had never even occurred to him. _Or more accurately_, Kukui realized as he studied the boy's eyes, _like he's never considered Eevee wasn't already his_. To some that might have sounded almost spoiled, but even a few months with Ash had taught him to know better. Ash's Pokemon had this uncanny habit of choosing him, instead of the other way around, and the man doubted that anyone could get in the way once a Pokemon chose the boy. As for Eevee, it was obvious. Her gaze followed Ash and Pikachu no matter what. No one else would do, because Ash was the one that had proven himself a worthy trainer－a worthy partner, a worthy friend.

Said Pokemon hauled herself to her feet to pat Ash's cheek, purring loudly.

"Eevee… is that what you want?" Ash stared down at her, searching for an answer in deep brown eyes. "You'd be battling a lot, that's kind of what we do. Are you sure you're okay with that?"

She shared a look with Pikachu, sharing gleeful smiles before nodding eagerly.

Kukui watched, his presence forgotten, as a weight seemed to lift from the boy's shoulders and he pulled out a spare Pokeball. One tap, one shake, and a small burst of light later, Eevee was called back out to cuddle the time away before school started, sharing Ash's lap with Pikachu.

Later, he would swear to the moon and back that fate brought the trio together.

XxXxX

Ash was many things, Eevee had learned, but never what one would expect him to be. Slow to anger and quick to act, he was a confusing person that apparently had no intention of explaining himself, or perhaps he never felt the need to. Either way, she found herself watching him carefully as she worked her way through recovery.

His love for Pokemon was obvious. He was quick-thinking and unpredictable in battles (even the mock ones she watched the rest of the team training with) and found it hard to keep still most days, unless something was interesting enough to warrant it. Optimistic and always looking forwards… unless he wasn't.

She noticed it the night he returned with a green-eyed, orange Lycanroc in Rockruff's place, on their trip to Akala Island. He was overjoyed with the unique evolution－she heard Kukui talking about it, referring to is as the newly discovered Lycanroc Dusk Form－but there was something in his eyes that everyone else but Pikachu couldn't see.

Grief.

She asked the yellow mouse later that night, quietly, once everyone in the room had gone to sleep.

Pikachu averted his eyes, sighing deeply. _"This isn't the first time one of us has gained a special form or power. Last time, when we were in Kalos, it was Greninja. But Greninja stayed behind to help Squishy with something… it's been hard on Ash, and she wasn't even the only Pokemon that was left in Kalos. Not to mention all the others…"_

She swiveled her head, gazing over at the bunk Ash was currently asleep on, only to frown. His eyes were open, staring listlessly at the ceiling.

"_Does anything help him? To cope," _she added when her friend only looked back blankly.

"_He usually just tries to focus on the here and now," _Pikachu admitted. _"I don't think he really does much else for it…"_

Nodding to acknowledge his words, she hopped off the couch, careful not to land on Lycanroc's significantly larger body on the floor. It had taken her some time to get used to walking on four legs, but she more or less had the hang of it now.

There was a lot she didn't know about Ash, but she wanted to learn. Now that she was officially part of his team, she wanted to do all she could for him. Something about the sad gazes he hid from the other humans made her want to spoil him, and occasionally she wondered if it was a leftover personality trait from her human life, but for the moment she chose to simply jump onto the mattress, followed by Pikachu a split second later.

Ash raised his head, sienna eyes appearing almost black in the darkness. When he saw them, he offered a lopsided grin, hands reaching out to pet them as they snuggled against his sides.

She wished she could speak with him properly, but as of yet didn't think it was possible. So for now, she settled with simply ensuring Ash knew that he was never alone, that he was cared for.

XxXxX

It had been a rough week for Ash, she knew. She could see him clenching his jaws around words that clearly wanted out during classes; he knew far too much and had seen far too much, so much that hardly anyone would believe him if he told them, and he knew it. When others talked about Pokemon as if their intelligence was somehow less simply because they had no need for formal education, his eyes turned sharp. When Kiawe was forceful in his opinion that the way Ash raised Pokemon shouldn't work, wasn't effective, the boy struggled not to snap with something _more_ in his voice.

She and Pikachu both knew it. Knew that Ash was more, had always been more, than just a trainer with big dreams and a bigger heart.

Midnight on the last day of school for the week, she followed Ash and Pikachu up the loft's ladder to the roof. Her injuries were mostly healed by then, so the boy didn't fuss over her attempts and try to send her back down. Instead, he just sat on the roof in the darkness and sighed.

"_He should talk about it, even if it's only to Pokemon,"_ she murmured to Pikachu, who nodded, disheartened by Ash's silence.

"_Oi, Ash,"_ she scowled, prodding his leg with her paw. _"Spit it out. Start talking."_

He glanced down at her, one eyebrow raised, and she huffed. If he was going to be difficult, she would just have to get creative. The kid needed a fucking therapist.

XxXxX

Eevee was relentless, Ash had discovered. When she wanted something, she would get it, no matter how long it took. When combined with Pikachu's ability to read his emotions and thoughts with uncanny accuracy, he should have known trying to deny his problems wouldn't work on them.

Somehow he managed to piece together that they wanted him to talk about whatever was bothering him. When faced with two stern gazes (or as stern as they could get, both Pikachu and Eevee were rather small, fluffy, and dare he say adorable) he relented with a lopsided smile.

"You guys worry too much," he began, but when Pikachu's cheeks sparked he decided it would be wise to just go with their demands. "Alright, alright, I'll talk! Geez… I guess just… I haven't stayed in one place for so long since before I left Pallet Town for the first time. It gives me too much time to remember, is all…"

Pikachu nuzzled his hand, supportive as always, and he let his fingers run through short, velvety fur. The electric type squeaked at Eevee, who squeaked back, an irritated sound accompanied by what could only be the most sarcastic huff he'd ever encountered.

With a soft laugh, the words began to fall off Ash's tongue. How he was so tired of playing the role of 'Chosen One'－he ended up explaining that in depth to Eevee, who merely listened with eyes far too understanding for his comfort－and all the things he'd done over the years. All the friends he'd met and journeyed with. All the goodbyes he'd had to force a smile through. All the fear and pain he'd felt like he couldn't share because he was supposed to be the optimistic one. All the things he'd seen but knew was better off not telling.

How he was just so tired of being looked at as anything but a normal trainer with a simple, if grand, goal.

Ash hadn't realized he was crying until Eevee clawed her way up his shirt and used her small, fuzzy paws to clumsily brush them away. Pikachu leaped onto his shoulder, rubbing cheeks with him. He pressed back just slightly, a silent thank you to his partner while he picked up his newest Pokemon, wincing as her sharp little claws caught his skin.

Her deep brown eyes stared back at him, and for the first time it really hit him how _different_ she seemed from other Pokemon. The foreign sensation reminded him too much of Greninja and the bond they shared, strained thin and faint with distance.

"How selfish is it to wish you would stay weak and never leave me?" He whispered, too tired, too drained to hold back his thoughts. "Every time, I knew from the beginning that they would have to leave me someday. That there was something they would want to do. It felt so much like the feeling I get when I look at you.

_Just how many times will I have to let go_?"

He felt horrible for feeling this way, for being so selfish. He was so grateful that Pikachu had stayed by his side for so long, without any trace of wanting that to change. Hell, he was certain that he'd have been electrocuted if he'd even tried to suggest switching his partner out in some regions like he did for the rest of his Pokemon. But he wished at least one of the others would protest being left behind for a new region. Wished someone would feel the same way he did about being separated.

The pale light of dawn was already spilling over them, illuminating the gold highlights in Eevee's fur. It was silent for several minutes, save for the waves crashing on the shore a few dozen yards away. She locked gazes with him, one paw over one of his own hands as he held her up. He saw it, then, a single emotion standing out clear in her eyes; determination.

Light began to swirl around her, far too bright for his tired eyes, and he almost dropped her out of shock. Her body lengthened and grew, tail splitting at the end, legs extending and fur smoothing over a new body.

When the light dispersed, an Espeon with swirling, indigo patterns decorating her lavender fur balanced easily on his knees.

Dark purple eyes opened, glowing with a faint blue light.

"_If you hate goodbyes,"_ she said, mellow alto voice echoing in his head, _"then I will never leave your side."_

Ash could only stare, struggling against exhaustion to realize that his Eevee had just evolved. Her words pulled at his emotions, and he honestly wasn't even surprised that she was already able to form a psychic bond. It was the fact that she nailed the issue; he hated goodbyes. He hated walking away from those he cared about, hated it even more when he was the one watching their backs fade into the distance.

"Pika pi! Pi pika, chu!" Pikachu's arm waved wildly from his shoulder. Espeon nodded, adjusting her weight across his lap.

"_I will join Pikachu in staying with you, no matter where you go._" She stated in a tone that allowed no argument. She lifted her chin, as if daring him to challenge her, but he had no desire to.

He reached out, lips curling upwards at the corners as he rubbed her ears and she purred. "… Thank you," he whispered, using one arm to pull her close and the other to slide Pikachu off his shoulder to join the hug. The two Pokemon shared a fond look before pressing their noses to Ash neck, causing him to squirm with laughter.

With an amused laugh, Espeon draped her long body over his shoulder. _"Let's go back inside. You haven't slept yet, have you?"_

"I don't think any of us did," he replied softly, carefully sliding back to the opening in the roof where the ladder was. He took one last glance at the rising sun, squinting against the light as the sky turned from night to day. "Thanks again, both of you. Didn't realize how much I just needed to vent."

He was drained, but he did feel lighter after that long night. Closing the small hatch after they were safely inside, he folded the ladder and slid beneath the blanket on the futon. Pikachu and Espeon shared a few nuzzles before practically collapsing across his torso, and a surge of guilt weighed down his chest. He'd kept them up the whole night, too…

Espeon opened one eye, pinning him with a stern expression. _"We wanted to. Now go to sleep."_

Rolling his eyes, he only nodded, and was out in minutes.

XxXxX

It was the pain in his eyes and voice that caused her to make the choice.

He looked so haunted, so _shattered_, that the thought of ever leaving him and adding to that made her sick. So as dawn broke, she made a silent promise, and before she even realized what was happening, she was _changing_.

Evolution was strange. Her body felt foreign but at the same time far more natural than being an Eevee did. What changed the most, however, was her awareness. It was like before she'd been looking at everything through slits in paper, and now she was getting the whole picture, although it was more of sensing it than seeing it. Speaking to Ash's mind felt like second nature, and she fully meant every word she said.

Right now, though, she glared at Rotom as he zoomed around, camera snapping pictures as loud as physically possible. It had only been a few hours that Ash had fallen asleep after being awake all night, and unfortunately the possessed PokeDex had woken up first at seven am sharp.

"_Do you have to be so loud?"_ She hissed, baring her fangs in a snarl. _"We were up all night, have some basic fucking decency and let us sleep!"_

At least hearing her voice shut the damn thing up for a little while.

That is, until it flew away screaming for the professor, claiming that she was an abnormality that must be studied. Like hell. She'd fucking destroy it if it got too close.

Sighing, she carefully got up, making sure not to wake her friend or human. She could go without sleep a little longer, if only to make sure Ash and Pikachu got even a bit longer themselves. Jumping down from the loft, she padded into the kitchen. Ash liked food in general, so odds were high he'd eat pretty much anything she made including hotcakes, and she remembered enough from her human life to know how to make them from scratch. She quickly confirmed that the lack of hands was only a small issue; at the very least, psychic abilities were coming easily to her. She only had to focus on _wanting_ something to move a certain way, and with the addition of a pale blue glow, it did.

Kukui walked in on her and a floating bowl of hotcake batter.

She spared him a glance, but nothing more. She had to continuously focus on her task or her hold on the bowl and whisk would falter. Only after she was sure the batter was fully mixed did she turn back to the professor, head tilting as he stared at her.

"_Is there a problem, professor?"_ She asked, taking a sick sort of pleasure in the way his face couldn't seem to chose an emotion to express.

"See, zzztt?! I told you!" Rotom cried frantically, and she glared at it.

"_Be quiet, you'll wake up Ash,"_ she hissed. _"He was up all night, just let him sleep or I will bury you in a compost heap."_ She was not in the mood to be dealing with the over-dramatic Pokemon/tech hybrid.

Kukui raised his hands between them, clearly a 'calm down' gesture. "Alright, alright, take it easy. It is pretty early still, let's keep our voices down. And… Espeon? You… _are _Ash's Eevee, evolved, right?"

She nodded, tail brushing along the counter. _"Just this morning at dawn,_" she purred, still proud of herself for reasons not quite understood. Pushing it aside for the moment, she glanced back up towards the loft. _"… In all seriousness though, take it easy on him today. It's not just his body that's tired."_

The professor studied her for a long moment, eyes searching her own, before he nodded to himself. "Not a problem. Good thing today's a free day, I suppose… Espeon _what_ are you doing?"

She paused from where she'd been nosing open cupboards, levitating their contents for a moment while she searched through them. _"Looking for a pan to cook these in. Did you think I was going to feed Ash what is essentially raw egg, milk and flour soup? He might not object to eating it but I can gauruntee it would be a bad idea."_

The man wordlessly pointed to a specific cupboard, which did indeed hold the type of pan she was looking for.

_"Thank you,"_ she hummed, hopping back onto the counter. She glanced at the batter, contemplating. Did she even need a spatula…? Could she flip these things with psychic power only? Was it even worth trying? Hm… Decisions, decisions…

In the end she opted for psychic powers. She had them, after all, and it would probably end up being good practice. A flick of her tail－ohh, she liked how long and thin it was now, made for excellent tail flicks－and the burner on the stove was turned on. _"Oh wait, need a plate…"_

She didn't mean to ignore the professor while she cooked, but she ended up having to focus hard enough that she didn't have attention to spare. By the time she was done, it was a slightly more reasonable hour to wake Ash, even though she would rather he sleep more, but she could feel the stirring of his consciousness at the edges of her mental awareness. Turning off the stove after the last hotcake was safely on the over-filled plate, she clambered up the ladder to the loft.

"_Ash,"_ she nudged him gently, sliding her tail across Pikachu's face to rouse the electric mouse. _"Ash, there's food."_

She cackled as he sat straight up, not quite awake yet. Rubbing at his eyes, he squinted at her, and yawned. His incoherent mumbling was intended to be a question, but didn't quite make it to that point.

"_Food,"_ she repeated firmly, before turning to greet the just-now awakening Litten and Lycanroc.

"_Whoa, is that you Eevee?"_ Lycanroc's tail was wagging rapidly, thumping the ground as she looked over. Her orange and white fur almost smothered her teammate when she nuzzled her affectionately.

"_Yeah, it's me,"_ she confirmed, resisting the urge to jump out of the wolf-like Pokemon's reach. _"And it's Espeon now, as of this morning."_

"_Not bad._" Litten looked her up and down. She was now taller than him, much to her pleasure. Their tails crossed, as snuggly a greeting the fire type was willing to give. _"Think you'll be ready to spar soon?"_

She forced back a grimace. Right, battling. She _had_ agreed to it... She just didn't even know if she was able to use moves, besides her psychic abilities. _"Maybe, I don't know if I'll be any good though."_

Rowlet waddled over sleepily, blinking up at her through half-lidded eyes. _"Well, Ash will fix that,_" the round Pokemon assured her. She only nodded in return, twisting her neck as Ash finally dragged himself off the futon. Pikachu hopped down to the floorboards of the loft, greeting her and the others sleepily.

She nuzzled her friend in greeting, earning a soft _"Morning…"_ from him. While he made his usual rounds to the rest of the team, Espeon waited until Ash had made it down the ladder before following him, tail brushing against his legs as she hopped onto the counter again. Motioning with her tail to the hotcakes, she preened when he stroked the silky fur between her ears and muttered a short mix of thanks and praise.

Thinking back on what Litten and Rowlet said, she made one more choice.

She was going to become as powerful as she could possibly be, and help Ash achieve his dream.

XxXxX

Kukui could only stare as the newly-evolved Espeon stuck close to Ash throughout the day, having no issues forming a closed psychic bond with her trainer and her teammates. She clearly had no issues forming open ones either, talking to the professor himself without any visible effort. The Pokemon was a natural, practically born for the evolution.

Espeon was far too human-like in her mannerisms and speech patterns for his comfort, but he said nothing about it.

The main thing was that her evolution had caused Ash to relax, as if a weight Kukui had never noticed had been lifted from his shoulder. The boy's eyes were brighter than before, less haunted, more like the kid he was than the witness of unfathomable sadness he so often seemed to be.

That, at least, put Kukui at ease.

Well, that and how easily it had been to convince Espeon to let him study her a bit; all he had to do was mention how sleek and shiny her fur was, vain little thing, and she agreed to let him check her over. It would have been sad if it wasn't so amusing.

Her fur pattern was entirely unique, and he took some photo documentation to send to several of his colleagues. The darker purple marbling, almost indigo in several areas including the tips of her paws, tail, ears, and nose, was rather stunning. She was a beautiful Pokemon, that was undeniable, almost as if an artist had fashioned her from the depths of a complex and alien mind.

Her mannerisms were an entirely different matter he resolved to tackle some other time, not having the willpower to delve into that at the moment.

She _understood_ humans a little too well.

XxXxX

Ash yawned as he made his way up the hill. For once, he was slightly early for school, not needing to run to beat the bell due to being up from the smell of Espeon's kitchen experiment that morning. She'd claimed to have been trying to figure out an entirely new dish, but ended up making some kind of potato-based waffle. It had tasted great, though, so Ash couldn't figure out why she'd seemed disappointed.

She was currently curled up in his arms, Pikachu chattering at her from his perch on Ash's shoulder. She seemed thoughtful, purring back, and the conversation continued for several minutes, tones lilting in a teasing manner.

He shook his head slightly, amused at their friendly banter. Honestly, the two were practically inseparable now, but he was beginning to have some concerns over how little Espeon seemed to have bonded with the rest of the team. He'd have to work on that.

Waving to a surprised Kiawe as he jogged through the entrance, he headed straight up to the classroom. Espeon had asked him to teach her to read and there were probably a ton of basic reference books she'd like in the bookshelves.

"Alola," he yawned out the greeting as he walked through the doorway. Lillie turned away from Lana and Mallow to return it, a gasp of surprise interrupting her own voice.

"Ash, that Espeon… did Eevee evolve?!"

"She sure did," he chuckled, settling said Pokemon on his desk where the girls could fawn over her easier.

Lillie was struggling, the obvious desire to pet Espeon's silky fur battling her own fear. Lana and Mallow had no such problems, immediately burying their fingers in Espeon's fur, scratching underneath her chin and behind her ears. Espeon purred gently, enjoying the attention.

"Oh my goodness, Ash, she's beautiful!" Mallow crooned. "I've never seen an Espeon with swirls like this!"

"Me either," Lana agreed, blue eyes wide.

"_I'd like to think I'm unique in that way,"_ Espeon mused out loud, and all three girls froze as Ash's lips pulled into the biggest grin.

"Yeah, she does that," he said, offering no other explanation and feeling a foreign wave of amusement－he kept forgetting that Espeon's new mental bond with him let them share a bit of their emotions. Pikachu cackled from his perch on Ash's shoulder, and the boy himself couldn't help but join in at the looks on his friends' faces.

"_Save the shock for later, dears, there's more where that came from_," Espeon said, teasing, gently tapping the girls beneath their chins with her forked tail. _"Now if you'll excuse me, Ash promised to teach me how to read your human scribbles, and I'd like to get started before your teacher gets here."_

Ah, right. Espeon wasn't one to just forget when she wanted something.

XxXxX

Espeon glanced over at Lycanroc, silently debating what she should do. While maybe it wasn't the nicest thing to do, she'd been listening in on Ash's thoughts just because she could, and she'd felt his slight disappointment that she wasn't bonding that much with the rest of the team. She was a loner (sort of) by nature, but Ash had many more Pokemon than just her and Pikachu, and he loved them all equally. It was selfish of her to just take up his attention and then not even bother being friendly with his other friends.

With a mental sigh, she waited until lunch break, and after both she and Lycanroc had finished eating their own food. Then, she approached the only other girl on the current team.

"_Hey,"_ she greeted as casually as she could, sitting down next to the large orange wolf.

Lycanroc, cheerful sunbeam that she was, looked delighted and immediately went for the question she'd been trying to be patient in asking. _"Espeon! Are you gonna start training with us soon?"_

"_I hope so,"_ she confessed, thinking of her vow to support Ash's dream. _"I don't even know what I can do just yet, besides Psychic. Or is it Telekinesis…? Do… do you think you could spar with me later and try to help me figure that out?"_

"_Absolutely! Litten too, he's been wanting to spar with you ever since you joined the team."_

Oh. Maybe that was why he'd been being offish lately, he probably thought she didn't want to spar with him. Ash's disappointment flashed to the surface of her mind and she held back the urge to cringe. Better fix that.

"_Let me go ask him if he'll join us,"_ she said with more confidence than she felt, padding across the wood floor to the dozing Litten. The fire-type opened one eye as she approached. _"Do you want to spar tonight? I can't promise I'll be a good opponent but I won't get better if I don't try…"_

Litten nodded, his pleasure obvious. _"I'll get you caught up. You'll be battle-ready in no time, with me helping you."_

That was cocky, but she didn't make any outward sign of her slight irritation. Instead, she nodded and thanked her teammate for the offer of assistance, and turned to look for Rowlet.

The small bird was over by the window, dozing in the warm sunlight of early afternoon. She hesitated a moment, sending out her mental senses before approaching. Rowlet wasn't quite asleep, and didn't feel like he was trying to do so. He was just relaxing, apparently.

It didn't take long to convince the bird that she would like to get to know him better, and spar a bit, and Espeon felt relief wash over her. It wasn't nearly as difficult as she had made it out to be, to start bonding with her teammates. A subtle glance towards Pikachu and Ash told her it was the right move; Ash looked proud and pleased, while Pikachu nodded at her. It occurred to her that she'd been monopolizing both Ash and Pikachu's attentions, and she vowed not to forget that again.

With everything set for later in the evening, she returned to Ash's lap, purring happily when he rubbed her ears. The boy was a natural at finding the best spots to scratch and pet, and she allowed herself to bask in his low chuckle at her actions. Then Popplio warbled out a request for her to join their game, and after a moment's hesitation, she hopped back down to the floor and followed the water type to the rest, greeted with a pat on the head by Steenee's leaves.

It couldn't hurt to make friends with everyone, right?

XxXxX

Litten was _brutal_. Espeon found herself really, honest to god struggling with everything physical. Her Psychic/Telekinesis attack was stellar, but her defense, agility, and her strength and accuracy with her other three moves were… lacking. She'd figured out how to pull off Swift, Tackle, and Tail Whip, but she was severely disappointed with herself.

It was the only reason she hadn't just given up and flopped into the sand for a nap. At least Litten approved of her stubbornness to improve, and by the end of the five hour 'training' (read: hell) Pikachu told her she was now on the same level as Rowlet had originally been when he joined Ash. Said trainer was just hyped that she had wanted to start training too, and she clung to the unintentional waves of excitement he was sending through their mental bond to keep going.

Despite her exhuastion, she liked the training. It presented a challenge, and apparently she really, really liked challenges (that might have been due to her Psychic typing, maybe she should ask Kukui about that), so she was hardly averse to staying part of the daily sessions she'd only been watching till now.

And now, she was sparring with Litten, as promised.

"_Take this!"_ He cried, unleashing an Ember into her face.

With a low hiss, she used Psychic to whip up sand enough to protect her fur－like hell would she let some future _Dark type _ruin her perfect fur, teammate or no－and launched off her hind legs, flipping mid-air to keep her current opponent in her sights.

"Espeon, use Swift," Ash yelled out; he was coaching her through the spar, as Litten already had tons more battle experience than she did.

She obeyed, using flicks of her tail to focus the shower of yellow stars and aim them. The projectiles went rocketing towards Litten, who Embered all but one, and even that only glanced off his flank. Frustrated, she silently vowed to master all her moves and then demand that Ash teach her more long-range ones. She'd seen his bank account total, he could afford enough TMs for an army. Although she still hadn't quite gotten the hang of controlling Swift with Psychic, couldn't do so in an actual battle, another long-range move would still enable her to keep her distance better. Ooh, she should also ask Pikachu to teach her Quick Attack.

Dodging a Scratch with speed alone, she spun around in the sand to face her tormentor, panting heavily. She'd only been hit twice in the twenty-minute long spar, but she just didn't have the stamina her teammates did. Seeing that, and how late it was, Ash called for them to stop.

"_Oh thank Arceus,"_ she wheezed, dropping onto her belly, muscles aching. _"Litten, you're terrifying."_

The cocky Fire-type just gave her a smug little smirk and nudged her to her feet, supporting her enough to get her back to Ash, who had the gall laugh at her condition. She scowled, but was too tired to protest. The moon was high in the sky, and they _should_ be sleeping already; just _where_ did these monsters get their energy?

"It'll get easier the more you do it," he reassured her, mercifully picking her up and carrying her the rest of the way to Kukui's house.

"_You learn fast, too, so you'll be caught up in no time!"_ Lycanroc added, tongue lolling as she kept pace beside their trainer, Rowlet already snoozing on her back. Damn him.

From his spot on Ash's shoulder, Pikachu nodded his agreement. _"You made a lot of improvement in just one day of training. If you keep that up, you'll be great in battles!"_

"_I just want to learn more moves,"_ she told them, purring softly when Ash started to rub the spot right behind her ears. _"I don't think I've got the body type for an up-close and personal battling style. I'd get crushed in physical fights, I'd rather keep my distance and weaken my opponent from afar, then get in there with psychic attacks and slam them unconscious."_

"_Yeah, you just don't have the physical strength for the styles the rest of us use,"_ Litten nodded. _"You should learn Quick Attack to help you dodge, though, you're fast but Rowlet is faster than you."_

"_I can teach you that,"_ Pikachu offered, and she let out a pleased trill. Perfect. _"I can also teach you Agility. I haven't used it in a while, but I still know it."_

Wait, what? Espeon had the feeling there was a world-changing discovery in those words, and she resolved to discuss it later, when she wasn't so tired.

After a few moment where no one made a sound, Ash spoke. "You guys all did really great today, you know. I'm proud of you."

"_Good,"_ she mumbled, closing her eyes. It was now bedtime, and woe befall anyone who woke her up before noon.

XxXxX

_"Yeah no, we're not doing this,_" Espeon deadpanned even as she focused her psychic power on Team Rocket's large robot thing. It crumpled beneath the pressure, blue light twisting and contorting it into a cage to hold the trio of criminals before Ash and his friends could even think about fighting them. A flick of her tail snapped the cords of the large net, her fellow Pokemon spilling out onto the sand.

And their group training had been going so well, too.

Ignoring the indignant shrieks of the Rockets, she used the remnants of the nets to tie them up. _"You three are annoying and I hate you."_

"Easy, Espeon," Ash called.

"_Fiiine,"_ she sighed dramatically, letting the captured Rockets down to the ground before returning to her boy, grumbling slightly to show her displeasure at being told to back off even though they _deserved_ it.

Ash scooped her up, glancing over at the captured Rockets. "At least this time they won't escape before Officer Jenny gets here…"

"Oh wow! Espeon is really getting good with her psychic powers," Mallow exclaimed, peering over at the Rockets in their confinement.

Right about then said Espeon remembered the fucking Bewear－not entirely sure how, and it was weird because she hadn't had any flashbacks of her previous life until right that－and resumed her psychic hold of the criminals to yank them out of the way of 'rescue'.

"_Absolutely not,"_ she told the pink beast. _"They are criminals and are going to jail. Ask Jenny for visitation after they get processed."_

"_And what, precisely, makes them criminals?"_ Bewear asked, subtly tensing as she prepared to move again.

Espeon took a moment to think about the sheer bullshit that accompanied that question. _"Oh, I don't know, maybe the fact that they have been stalking my trainer for years on end, attempting to kidnap his friends multiple times a month, causing mass amounts of property damage and it is only by sheer luck they haven't actually killed someone yet? Or the fact that they work for an organization that poaches and abuses Pokemon on a daily basis, and are willing to betray anyone who shows them kindness if they think it will make their boss think better of them? Honestly jail is probably the safest place for them, so they don't ended up causing themselves even more trouble. They could be good people if they cut themselves off from Team Rocket."_

That, at least, made Bewear pause. "_Alright, fair."_ And she patted the Rockets on the head through their cage, and left.

Espeon blinked. She'd thought that would take more convincing.

"I have no idea what's going on anymore," Ash said flatly, stroking her spine. "Whatever then… guys, let's get back to training, those three won't be getting out any time soon."

"Nice work." Lana gave Espeon a thumbs up before returning her attention to Popplio.

Everyone was checking on their Pokemon, so Espeon slid out of Ash's grip to go see her teammates. No one was injured, which was great, though Lycanroc was a bit grumpy about her fur getting messed up by the net and sand. Pikachu had a few scuffs but they were basically a cosmetic mishap, so that was alright. Ash gave them all a look over before setting them back to training, everyone basically ignoring the Rockets until Officer Jenny finally arrived, having been alerted by a local to the sighting of a giant robot attacking some kids.


	3. I Will Not Stand Down - Ch 1

In which Moon was an orphan before her case worker found an estranged aunt to take her in. Several years later she was forced to leave her surrogate brothers, Green and Red, behind when Tamah moved them to Alola. Alola was not prepared for the storm to come, but Moon…

Moon was.

XxXxX

Tamah was much livelier than Moon ever remembered her own mother being, though she certainly looked like her. Moon's mother and her sister Tamah were Alolan natives; lovely russet skin, dark angled eyes, and thick, mahogany colored hair. Moon shared the skin tone, but her hair was silver-white and her eyes a vivid gold, like her father's had been. They looked similar enough, she supposed. Passable as family. Leaving out the fact that they barely knew each other, of course.

Not that it mattered much. Moon's strange, near-supernatural abilities may have been undeveloped, but they were enough to get a basic read on the woman.

Her aunt was nice, and didn't push too much, something Moon appreciated. She openly encouraged Moon's interests in becoming a Pokemon trainer, having been one herself. The only Pokemon Tamah had now was a playful Meowth, but that didn't mean she had lost her touch. Moon's aunt also had plenty of reference material on battling, caring for Pokemon, type match ups, EVs and IVs, move sets, and strategies.

Not only that, but she somehow knew two Kanto Champions, Red and Green. Moon had never seen a good opportunity to ask precisely how, but in the end it didn't matter; she got to regularly see both, and eventually claimed a spot in their hearts as their surrogate little sister. She learned more by watching them battle and train with their Pokemon than she ever did with her books.

By the time she had moved to Alola (extracting promises that her brothers would find the time to visit), Moon knew she would have a decent head start on most other trainers her age.

She chose Litten as her starter, the scrappy little Pokemon reminding her of Red's powerful Charizard. She was certain Litten would be a formidable battler, her thoughts proven correct by a near-effortless win against Kahuna Hala's grandson, Hau.

When she rushed back to the new house to show Litten to her aunt, she also called the boys to show them her starter. She laughed as Green pouted that she hadn't picked the water starter, but was appeased when she mentioned that she wanted to catch a water type first thing after a bit of training. She left out any mention of saving Nebby and falling off a bridge. They would worry too much if she told them about that.

(She did mention seeing Melemele Island's guardian deity, Tapu Koko, though. She just didn't tell them that it saved her from an almost certain death.)

"So this Island Trial thing, it works in place of the League, right?" Green asked later in the call.

Moon nodded. "Professor Kukui explained it a bit. Each island has unique trials, each one led by a captain. Once you clear those, you get to challenge the Island Kahuna's Grand Trial. It's really different, but I heard something about Totem Pokemon, they're supposed to be stronger than normal Pokemon."

Red raised an eyebrow, eyes glinting with curiousity.

Smiling, Moon tilted her head to the side. "I'll be sure to tell you more once I've gotten through my first Trial. And I'll be sure to show you all the Pokemon I catch!"

"You'd better." Green smirked. He paused for a moment, sharing a look with Red, before he turned back to the screen. "I know you don't use them often, Moon, but… be careful with your powers, okay? You got really messed up last time you used them, and we're not around to take care of you like we were then."

Her eyes softened, and she nodded. "I'll be careful, I promise."

XxXxX

The day after the festival, feeling calm and confident with her new Z-Ring, she packed her bag, waved goodbye to her aunt, and headed out with the Rotom Dex hovering by her side. The earlier battles with Hau's Rowlet had shown her that Litten was fast and nimble, but his attacks were a little weak. She didn't know much about his defense or endurance, but his current move set consisted of Ember, Leer, and Scratch.

The first thing she did once officially on her journey was to call out her partner and have a talk.

"This is the start of our adventure, Litten," she began, scratching the fire type behind his ears. "So I want us to start off on the right foot. We're probably going to battle a lot, because I want us to be strong enough to handle anything the world throws at us. And we're going to train to be strong. It will be tough, but I won't ever make you do anything that I won't be doing right alongside you. So what do you say? Ready to take on the Island Challenge?"

Litten trilled, prancing around excitedly. Grinning, Moon led the way into the tall grass.

XxXxX

The first step was finding out all she could about Litten's abilities.

Battling was a good way to do that, and showed her that her starter's speed and agility were his strongest points. She quickly started them both on a training regime to build up stamina and strength, while also working to improve Litten's accuracy.

They spent their first week together running through the patches of woods across Melemele, perfecting balance on the shifting sands of the beach, and playing games that Moon's brothers had made especially to help young Pokemon improve their firepower.

Moon saved up the money she earned from battling local trainers, utilizing the Pokemon Center's free services as much as possible. She didn't want to blow all her budget on Potions when she could simply not go too far, keep an eye on any damage Litten took, and head to the Pokemon Center as needed.

Her real goal was to give herself a boost when it came to the Trials; she wanted to get ahead and stay ahead. It would make up for the time she spent training Litten before heading for the first Trial.

The mini-trial at the Trainer's School was a fun, if easy, challenge, and getting the Exp. Share and five Great Balls were definitely worth the battles. Litten had learned Bite close to the end, a move he seemed to like using.

His steady increase in strength came in handy when she encountered Illima and two Team Skull grunts. As soon as she heard the words 'stealing Pokemon', she knew she couldn't walk away. Both the boys she called brothers had fought against Team Rocket in Kanto, so nobody would have their precious friends stolen.

She never knew the whole story, but the haunted look in their eyes… How Red isolated himself from almost everyone, even years after he'd dealt with the evil organization…

Team Rocket had stolen her parents from her. And her precious brothers had gone through so much, felt so guilty for not being able to stop them fast enough…

No. People who committed such crimes would not go unpunished.

Litten seemed to sense her carefully contained anger, responding to her commands with unmatched precision. The Grunt's Zubat didn't stand a chance.

Even though Litten hadn't been hit even once, Illima insisted on healing him. He then challenged Moon to a battle. Moon thought that was foolish; he'd clearly seen her cold fury in action with the Team Skull Grunts, and it was obvious she wasn't calm yet.

Still, she accepted. She was a trainer now. And her starter seemed to be in the mood to _fight_.

"Go, Yungoos!" The pink-haired boy called out his first Pokemon.

Moon followed suit, and took the first move. "Leer into Ember!"

Litten's eyes glowed in a disturbing expression as he opened his mouth, firing off a series of smoldering balls that hit Yungoos hard. The normal type squealed shrilly at the blow.

Illima blinked at the unexpected speed, but retaliated quickly. "Yungoos, tackle!"

"Dodge it," Moon commanded, eyes narrowed as she watched Litten flip over the charging Yungoos. "Now! Ember at its back, finish it with Scratch!"

The rodent wasn't given a chance to face its opponent, fainting as the last attack connected. Litten trotted back to stand in front of his trainer as Illima returned his Pokemon, thanking it for it's effort. Studying Moon carefully, he called out a Smeargle.

Thinking quickly, Moon knew she couldn't risk Litten getting hit. Smeargle could learn Water Gun, and she only had one Pokemon. Illima was a Trial Captain, and would likely use it as a counter to those who started with a fire type Pokemon.

Just as she predicted, Illima started out by ordering, "Water Gun!"

"Dodge to the side, Scratch it then pull back!"

Litten obeyed with ease, getting in a critical hit before nimbly dodging another Water Gun to put some distance between them.

"You seem quite well-versed in battle," Illima said casually, sharp eyes taking in his opponent.

"I had good teachers," Moon responded with a smile that looked like it would be right at home on the face of a Sharpedo. "Litten, Ember to shield your approach, then Bite."

With a growl, Litten took off. Eyes widening, Illima called, "Smeargle, Water Gun!"

Firing multiple Embers, Litten's attack collided with the water and he ran straight through the resulting steam, jaws clamping down around Smeargle's shoulder. The Pokemon shrieked, flailing, but Litten held tight.

"Ember!"

Teeth still sunk deep into his opponent, Litten jumped, dragging Smeargle into the air with him before letting go, only to fire another critical hit point-blank. Smeargle fell to the ground, unconscious, and Litten sauntered back to Moon, rubbing up against her legs. She patted his head and picked him up, praising him softly while Illima returned his fainted Pokemon.

She reached out to shake the Trial Captain's hand as he gave her an approving look. "You've trained your Litten well. I didn't even get one hit in."

She eyed him for a moment before grinning. "Thank you… but I have a feeling you went a little easy on me, _Captain_."

The boy chuckled. "A little. But you've a good eye for knowing where to direct your Pokemon, and when to attack. I look forwards to you challenging my Trial."

XxXxX

After dropping by the Pokemon Center (just in case) and stocking up on supplies, she headed out. There were several encounters with wild Pokemon, but none that she felt would fit her team.

Startled when a sudden screeching noise drew her attention, she ran towards the sound, Litten hot on her heels. Pushing her way through the grass, she gasped. A group of Spearow were attacking a very small Abra. The poor thing looked like it had just gotten out of a battle, bruised and battered, without the energy to Teleport away.

"Litten, wide Ember on the Spearows!" She shouted as she dove to pull the Abra out of the way of a nasty-looking Peck. Litten yowled, scattering the bird Pokemon with his attack. The Spearows screeched, furious at the interruption. With a dark gleam in his eyes, Litten _jumped_, teeth locking onto the nearest Spearow's wing in a wicked Bite. With several piercing screams, the flock scattered.

Safe for the moment, Moon looked down at the small psychic type in her arms. It was unconscious now, and she was pretty sure a Potion wouldn't do any good. Not to mention the Spearow would probably be back soon, with reinforcements. Getting to her feet, she turned back towards Hau'oli City.

"Litten, can you make sure nobody stops us while we go back to the Pokemon Center?"

The fire type trilled his agreement, and Moon started to run, careful not to jostle the Pokemon in her arms, her starter keeping pace at her side.

They were just a few minutes out when Abra began to stir, and Moon glanced down with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, we're gonna get you fixed right up, okay?"

She felt a weak brush against her mind, and she let her mental defenses down, trying to show Abra that she meant him no harm. It seemed to do the trick, since he relaxed in her hold, and allowed Nurse Joy to take him once they had reached the Pokemon Center.

"What _happened_ to your Abra?" Nurse Joy asked, aghast, taking in all the injuries on the small psychic type.

"He's not mine, he's wild." Moon said. "A bunch of Spearow were attacking him, but I think he'd just run from fighting another trainer, so he couldn't defend himself."

"It's a good thing you stepped in. This Abra is extremely young, and those Spearow might have killed the poor thing… But don't worry! We'll have him fully recovered by tonight."

"I'll wait here, then."

That evening, Nurse Joy brought out the recovered Abra. He stared up at Moon, and she felt a brief presence in her mind.

Abra wanted to come with her. She had saved his life, and he wanted to repay her kindness. He let her carry him out of the building, and ten seconds later she had the second member of her team.

XxXxX

She lucked out when she finally got to the end of Route 2, where a wild Growlithe jumped into her path to sniff curiously at a startled Litten. When Growlithe barked to challenge them, a quick battle followed, and soon Moon knelt down next to the injured Pokemon with a Potion.

"Here you go," she hummed as she applied the medicine, giggling when the Pokemon jumped up to lick her face, tail wagging. "You were pretty awesome, that Bite almost got Litten the first time!"

The puppy Pokemon huffed, then sniffed around her bag for a moment before pulling out one of the empty Pokeballs Professor Kukui had given her. "You want to come with us?"

Growlithe nodded vigorously as she looked from Litten to Moon, and dropped the Pokeball into the trainer's hand. Grinning, Moon gently tapped the fluffy Pokemon with the Pokeball, and made her second capture. Green was going to be so proud.

The newest addition to her team was almost as strong as Litten was, and easily caught up with an extra day of training. Now she had three spots on her team filled, but she really needed her team to have more variety. Both fire types had the potential to be powerhouses, but they were still a ways off. Abra was the youngest, and also the weakest, but a few days with the Exp. Share active would help him start catching up.

Before she went any farther, she wanted to train more with her team, and let them get to know each other. All three of them got along pretty well, which she was very happy about. Within the next two days, Litten had learned Fire Fang, and Growlithe had significantly strengthened her Bite. It took another day and a half, but Moon was able to teach Abra Scratch. Abra was a timid Pokemon, but also one who wanted to learn. When he wasn't sleeping, anyways.

At night, they camped out under the stars.

Moon gazed up at the night sky, going over her beginning as a real trainer. She was happy with the friends she'd made, happy with her progress. Her thoughts drifted to how easily she seemed to understand her Pokemon. She'd learned a lot about how Pokemon talked from Red, of course, but…

Whatever her powers really were, they let her _feel _the Pokemon around her. She didn't know the extent of her abilities, but so far they'd enabled her to understand the general emotions of Pokemon. However, the more time she spent with her team, the clearer each of their thoughts became. And in emergency situations, she could throw up a clear, shimmering wall of energy for a brief moment, similar to the Pokemon move Protect.

It didn't worry her, but she was curious. Maybe one day she would find out. Until then…

She grinned, and quickly planned out what they would do tomorrow.

Until then, she had Trials to win.

XxXxX

Feeding her Pokemon the next morning, Moon listened to Rotom chatter. He'd been quiet for a while, getting used to his new body, but it seemed he was now ready to fill the silence with his own voice. He would get so excited about gathering data on new Pokemon. Growlithe took an immediate liking to the talkative Pokemon, much to Moon's amusement, and the possessed Dex took to balancing on her shoulders as they walked.

Both Growlithe and Litten preferred walking by Moon's side, rather than staying in their Pokeballs. Abra didn't care either way, but for the sake of being fair, she kept him out too, and he often slept sitting on her shoulders or tucked part-way into her bag.

His psychic abilities were growing stronger, bit by bit. He was almost constantly connected to her mind, and to help him train his abilities she would push back, adding defenses slowly as he became able to bypass them more easily.

The Delibird that had appeared, tugging at Moon's bag, had almost been lifted off the ground by Abra's immediate attempt to protect her. Patting his head reassuringly, she turned to the white and pink Pokemon.

"What's the matter, friend?"

Delibird pointed to a path off to the side, flipper-like wings flapping frantically. There was trouble in the berry fields, and Moon looked like a strong trainer who could help.

Sharing a look with her team, she nodded. "Take us there, we'll see what we can do."

Relieved, Delibird took off and Moon followed the bird Pokemon to a large property, vision tinting red as she saw the black fabric covering the Grunts' faces. A man stood behind them as she approached, shaking his head as he looked at the damage to his fields.

"Oh, Delibird, there you are! You found some help?"

The Grunts turned to face her, startled, before launching into some rap that Moon didn't bother following. Her eyes narrowed.

"You either leave now, or I make you leave."

They glanced at each other before laughing obnoxiously. The guy closest to her snorted. "Like, you can try, yo, but a weak trainer like you can't do nothing, yo!"

Moon's eyes shifted to an eerie yellow, as her lips twisted into a smirk. "Litten, it's your turn to battle."

With a yowl, her starter leaped forwards, focused on the battle as the Grunt quickly called out his Drowzee. The chubby psychic type yawned in boredom as it appeared in a flash of light, and Moon gently rested a hand atop Abra's head as she felt her Pokemon bristle at the obvious insult to his teammate.

She let the Grunt make the first move.

"Drowzee, use Pound!"

The Pokemon lumbered closer, pathetically slow. Litten glanced back at her in appalled disbelief, and she shrugged.

"Protocol 4."

Smirking, Litten darted forwards, Scratching Drowzee's legs as he ducked between them only to jump up and shoot off a powerful Ember at its back. Drowzee staggered, and Litten landed on its shoulders, getting in both a Bite and a Fire Fang before the flailing Pokemon forced him to launch off his prey. Landing in front of Moon, Litten watched in satisfaction as a short burst of flames consumed his opponent. Drowzee had suffered a burn, and that was all the poor Pokemon could take.

Drowzee fell flat on its face, unconscious, and the Grunt shakily recalled his Pokemon.

"T-this ain't over, yo, the Boss will make sure of it!"

"Yeah, that's right, the Boss will beat you!"

Baring her teeth in what could have easily passed as a Houndoom's snarl, Moon hissed, "He can _try_."

Both Grunts made the wise decision to leave immediately.

She accepted several berries from the farmer as thanks, taking note when he said, "These Team Skull punks do nothing but talk big and act small."

Misguided teenagers, led astray by this 'Boss'. Moon considered the notion of seeking them out and giving them the beating of their life, but knew she wasn't ready just yet. She needed a full team, and they needed to train more.

Thinking of her own powers, she resolved to train herself, too. Team Rocket had proven willing to murder people, not just steal and abuse Pokemon. She had to be just as strong, if not stronger, than her team. She didn't yet know what this Team Skull was willing to do, nor its goal, and she refused to be caught unprepared.

XxXxX

She stopped by the Pokemon Center to let her Pokemon get a good rest and a quick check up. She could feel the warm rush of pride when Nurse Joy complimented how healthy her team was, and listened with interest as the woman suggested feeding them some Poke Beans.

The Cafe in the building gave her ten of them when she ordered a quick drink, and she found that her Pokemon loved them. Grinning, she resolved to get more later. She was just thinking about calling her aunt when someone called her name.

Hau jogged over, a big smile on his face. "Hey, cousin! Taking a break?"

Moon nodded, returning the smile. "Yeah, my Pokemon and I have been working hard."

He crouched down in front of them, eyes bright with wonder. "Wow, they look real strong. You've already got half your team. I'm still－whoa!" Hau laughed as Growlithe knocked him onto his rear, so she could lick his face. "Hello to you too!"

"She's very friendly," Moon giggled, scratching Litten behind the ears and shifting Abra on her lap. "That helped Abra a lot when she joined our team."

"Is Abra shy?"

Moon explained how she and Litten had managed to save Abra from a Spearow attack, and how he was so young that it was good for him to have friendly teammates.

"It would do him good to have some friendly rivals, too," she added with a grin.

Hau chuckled, giving Growlithe a couple pats before standing. "Then I'd better be off to catch some more Pokemon and train! We'll be heading to the first Trial in no time."

With that, the energetic boy was off, but not before setting three Potions down next to her as a gift. She made a mental note to find something to gift back to him as thanks. Heading over to the opposite side of the Pokemon Center, she slid into an open phone booth with her team, dialing her aunt's house number first.

"Moon! It's good to hear from you, how's your Island Challenge going?"

Tamah was enthusiastic despite not having much of an interest in the Trials themselves, which made Moon smile. She explained that she'd been training with her team to be fully prepared for the first Trial, picking up each of her Pokemon so they could get in on the video call. Her aunt praised their energy and obvious health.

"Looks like the boys prepared you well for being a great trainer," the woman said proudly. "Will you call them next?"

"Yeah, although I don't know if they'll both be at the Viridian Gym this time. I'm going to give it a try, though."

She called the gym next, thankful that all calls, even ones to different regions, were free in the Pokemon Center. Green's second answered, recognizing her and immediately forwarding the call to the Gym Leader with a cheerful smile and wave.

He blinked in surprise at the sudden call, before his expression fell into a lazy smirk. "Needing advice already?"

Moon rolled her eyes, but smiled, happy to speak with one of her brothers. "Not yet, Green. You taught me too well to need help this quickly. I'm actually about to head off for the first Trial, and I wanted you to meet my Pokemon!"

The green-eyed Gym Leader leaned forward, hands gesturing impatiently. Holding back a laugh, Moon stepped back to pick up Abra and Growlithe. "You've already met Litten, but these are the other two on my team so far! Guys, this is my self-proclaimed brother, Green. He's super strong. And Green, sorry about not having a water type. I don't have the Lapras Ride pager yet, and I haven't found a decent spot to fish, but as soon as I do I'm going to find one!"

Growlithe barked happily, her tail wagging as she looked at the screen. Abra raised a clawed hand in greeting before going back to sleep.

Green's eyes widened for a moment, before he smiled for real, an expression she didn't often see on his face. She knew exactly why; her first two catches reminded him of his own Arcanine and Alakazam. He must not have taken her seriously when she said she wanted to be like him a bit more than she wanted to be like Red.

"You have good taste," he replied, only partially joking before he paused, thoughtful. "Do you need me to send you a fire stone for Growlithe later on? I know I have a spare one somewhere I can dig up."

Her golden eyes sparkled as she squealed in delight. "Yes please! That would be awesome! I told her about how strong your Arcanine is and she wants to be just like him. I'll train her to be the strongest Growlithe first, though."

After a few minutes of small talk, and also introducing Rotom (Green was practically foaming at the mouth with jealously of the Pokemon-possessed Dex), she reluctantly told him she had to go if she was to finish the Trial that day. He promised to pass along screenshots of the call so Red could see her new Pokemon, and let the elusive Champion know her progress.

Ending the call, she looked at each of her Pokemon. "You guys ready to beat the Trial?"

Their excitement was all the answer Moon needed.

XxXxX

Illima's trial was easy, only taking an extra five minutes to pass due to Team Skull's interruption. The Grunt's Drowzee went down two attacks into Protocol 4 (she silently thanked Red for the inspiration of not using actual move names, rather code words or body movements). Even though she was rotating her team so they each could get battle experience, they all had expected it to be harder, and were a little disappointed.

Even the Totem Pokemon, a massive Gumshoos, couldn't land a single hit, nor any of his ally Pokemon. Moon let the battle drag out for two minutes before deciding to end it, Growlithe responding to her command of "Finale" with a rather stunning Flame Wheel.

Carefully stowing her new Z-Crystal, she turned as Captain Illima approached, thanking him as he offered to heal her Pokemon.

"I do apologize for Team Skull's interruption," he sighed. "The vast majority of the Grunts are trainers who couldn't get past the Trials, and were frustrated. When Team Skull offered a place to them, many of them joined. They're a nuisance, but not much more. Moving on… you've been training even harder, haven't you? And you've caught two more excellent Pokemon. I'm impressed."

"Thank you." She reached down to pat Litten and Growlithe's heads, careful not to jostle Abra, who had settled back in her bag. "They're working very hard, so they're eager to show how much they've grown, even in such a short time."

"They've certainly done so," he mused as they left Verdant Cavern.

Moon decided not to train very much along Route 3, only battling wild Pokemon if they refused to let them by. The trainers she made quick work of, obtaining a Soothe Bell she tucked into her bag before Abra fished it out to play with, liking the gentle sound.

She did, however, duck into Melemele Meadow and crawl into Seaward Cave. A few hours of exploring later she'd found a Never-Melt Ice, a star piece, and some star dust. The first item had been followed by one of her weirdest Pokemon encounters yet.

In the shallow tide pool next to where she'd found the Never-Melt Ice, was an oddly-colored Magikarp struggling to swim.

She seemed to be a runt, barely as long as Moon's forearm, and the girl winced at the futile attempt to swim forwards. Sighing, she made sure nothing else was in the tide pool before taking off her shoes and wading in.

"Hello, there," she said softly. "Need some tips?"

She spent the next three hours teaching a fish how to swim.

Eventually, she did get the hang of it, and turned to Moon with wide, unblinking eyes. She patted her fins, and sighed. "Well I can't just leave you here. What do you say? Want to join my team? We train hard, I'm sure you'd become a strong Gyarados."

The rest of her team nodded encouragingly when the fish glanced at them, Litten trilling out how strong being with Moon had made them in only a few weeks.

Magikarp flailed eagerly, her strange, pale scales flashing in the dim light. To become a powerful Gyarados was her dream, so she could show all the trainers who had passed her by for being so small how wrong they were. Giggling, Moon reached for her bag and pulled out a Pokeball. Magikarp surged forwards and hit the button herself. Clambering out of the pool, the young trainer and her Pokemon left back through Melemele Meadow, only to stop as she recognized a frantic Lillie.

"Oh, Moon!" Lillie flung herself at the trainer, who caught her before they tumbled backwards. "Can you help me? Nebby ran off into the meadow here… and right after it got into so much trouble on the bridge, too… What if a wild Pokemon attacks it? It doesn't have any moves it can use to battle!"

Moon offered the blonde a reassuring smile. "I'll go bring Nebby back. Litten, can you stay here with Lillie to make sure wild Pokemon don't get too close?"

Litten meowed, curling around Lillie's legs, and the girl smiled.

"I'll be right back!"

Moon made quick work of finding the strange little Pokemon, mentally thanking Litten for not only guarding Lillie but helping to keep her calm. A panicking girl was not something she wanted to deal with. Nebby followed her back without argument, not after Growlithe told the floating Pokemon how worried and upset Lillie was.

"Oh, you!" Lillie sighed when they returned. "Thank you, Moon. And Litten, and the others, of course."

"No problem," Moon waved her off. "What were you guys doing out here?"

"Oh! We were with the Professor, he must be wondering where we've disappeared to. Back in the bag, Nebby."

"Pew!"

Walking back to Route 3 with Lillie, they almost bumped right into Hau, who was running by.

"Hey, Moon! Oh, Lillie's here too?"

"What are you up to, Hau?" Lillie questioned, smiling at the friendly boy.

He glanced to Moon with a smile. "Just finished up my trial," he chuckled. "I want to know if I've really learned something from it, though. Hey Moon, let's battle!"

Without waiting for her to respond, he sent out Pikachu.

Shaking her head in mock despair, Moon walked away from Lillie so they would have room to battle.

Glancing at her three Pokemon, Growlithe met her eyes. She wanted to prove that Litten wasn't the only one who could sweep a team. With a grin, Moon called the puppy Pokemon to the battle.

"Flame Wheel."

Growlithe charged, faster then Hau could react, the flames around her body slamming into Pikachu a mere second before her actual body did. The electric type fell, knocked out. Stunned, Hau held out a Pokeball and withdrew his fainted Pikachu.

"I've been training with my Pokemon to maximize the efficiency of their speed," she stated calmly, figuring that giving him some training tips would help him out in the future.

"I can see that," he replied sheepishly. "Alright, let's give it our best, Rowlet!"

The small, orb-like Pokemon flapped it's wings in an attempt to intimidate its opponent. Needless to say, Growlithe was unimpressed. When she glanced back at her trainer, Moon clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth, and the puppy Pokemon grinned.

In a flash of white light, Growlithe's Quick Attack closed the distance and transitioned into a Bite that ended the battle.

Recalling his Rowlet, Hau sighed. "Aw man, I wanted to show off their good side more."

"Maybe a battle against me isn't the way to do so," Moon said, amused.

"Yeah, that's for sure. How did you get them so strong?"

Lillie came closer, nodding at Hau's quiet 'thank you' when she treated his Pokemon. Kneeling down to praise Growlithe for her good work, Moon thought a moment before answering.

"After I got each of my Pokemon, I took some time to find out their strengths, weaknesses, and their personality. Then I worked with them to improve their strengths, counter their weaknesses or improve them so they are no longer a weakness, and try to work out a battle style that fits each one of them. And now we're working to keep improving."

"... You make it sound so simple."

Moon laughed at the thought. "It's hard. I train alongside them, so I know."

"No wonder you're so strong," Hau smiled. It faded slightly a moment later. "Man, at this rate I don't know if I'll ever beat my gramps…"

"Then why don't we train together before we challenge the Grand Trial? I can show you how I do it, maybe that will help you figure out how to fight your grandfather," Moon suggested, pleased when Hau's entire face lit up at the opportunity.

Hau opened his mouth to reply, but it was Professor Kukui's voice that answered. "That sounds like a great time, yeah? Good to see you're okay, Lillie," he added with a slightly exasperated grin, prompting the girl to duck her head and apologize sheepishly. "So you both passed your first Trial?"

The two trainers nodded, falling into step with Kukui and Lillie as they started walking towards the end of Route 3. The Professor glanced over to Moon as they walked.

"Do you mind if I take a look at your training regime, cousin? You sound like you've got it all worked out."

"Feel free," Moon replied, casually motioning for Litten to 'discourage' a Mankey from jumping out at them with a Leer. Only the Professor seemed to realize. "The first couple days might be difficult, but once you get used to the pace you can really see the difference."

Hau bounced around in excitement, and Moon idly wondered if he would really be up for the training, but decided to first see what he and his Pokemon could do.

They split off from Professor Kukui and Lillie to head to Hau'oli city, promising to meet at the lab the next morning. They dropped by the Malasada shop when Hau suggested (begged), and then went to get a room in the Pokemon Center. Moon didn't mind sharing, and it meant she wouldn't have to track the boy down in the morning.

Moon was out almost as soon as she got into bed, her Pokemon making themselves comfortable on the blankets and Rotom tucking himself between them. She called out a sleepy "G'night" to her friend before her eyes shut.

XxXxX

Luckily for Moon, Hau was just as early a riser as she was, so they grabbed a quick breakfast and were able to get to the beach by the lab just after dawn. Kukui was waiting for them, waving as they walked over.

"So, Moon, got it all planned out, yeah? I'll just follow along, so focus on training with Hau."

She nodded, setting Abra down on the porch. "Abra meditates instead of running, but the rest of us are going to do some stretches and then a couple laps on the beach. For us humans it's better to go barefoot, and our Pokemon can run beside us. Hau, your Rowlet can choose to fly or run, but I'd recommend alternating between laps. Let me know if you or your Pokemon are getting too tired, okay?"

Hau kicked off his shoes, releasing his Pokemon as he did so. "Sounds like a good warm up to me, cousin!" He relayed the plan to them, and both nodded. "Then let's go!"

The stretches she guided them through were more for the humans sake, as Pokemon didn't need to 'warm up' nearly as much as the more fragile humans did. It did help them get into the training mood, though, so nobody complained.

Moon started them on a light jog, Hau and their Pokemon easily keeping pace. Slowly, she increased the speed, keeping an eye on everyone's conditions. For her own Pokemon, this was easy, but Rowlet, who had chosen to start with running, was struggling a little. Pikachu was fine, enjoying the smell of the ocean in the crisp morning air. Hau seemed just as happy. Kukui kept pace with them, slightly off to the side.

They did four laps before Moon led them back to the lab and had them do some more stretches and drink some water.

"Okay. So Hau, your Pikachu has very good endurance, and is pretty fast, but he's not very agile. When that Shelder washed up he couldn't dodge it in time, and tripped, so we can work on that today. Rowlet is pretty tough, too, but it looks like you're both relying on him standing still and firing off attacks. He had troubles keeping up both with flying, and running. What you can do to fix that is to start working those muscle groups with him. I'll show you what I mean in a second."

Hau stared at her, awed. "You could tell all that from just the run?"

"Well, also when we battled," she admitted. "This is something you'll learn too, how to keep an eye on your Pokemon and find out what's going on, why, and how you can improve. While we're training together I'll explain how I can tell all this, and you should catch on pretty quick. Rotom?"

"Yeszzt?" The possessed Dex floated over, eager to help.

"After I start everyone on their first session, can you let me know when the time hits 10:30? We'll take a good break then."

"You can count on me, zzztt!"

Grinning, Moon turned to the group in front of her. Lillie had woken up by now and was sitting next to Abra on the porch, keeping an eye on Nebby. She waved to the blonde before speaking again.

"Let's start with the mirror game. Litten, Pikachu, can you come over here?" She drew a long line in the sand a few feet away. "Pikachu, Litten already knows this game, so what you need to do is stand on that side of the line, like that, yes, and mimic whatever Litten does. So if Litten jumps to the side, you do the same. Keep Litten right in front of you. Give it a go!"

Litten jumped to his left, and Pikachu hesitantly followed.

"See, that was easy, right?"

Pikachu turned to her and nodded, dark eyes brightening as he understood the game, and she grinned.

"The goal of this game is for the reflection－which is you right now－to keep up with the original, which is Litten. The original's goal is to make you mess up. As you get better, Litten is going to try to trick you into doing the wrong movement, so keep an eye on him!"

Litten meowed, ready to start his favorite game, and they got to work. Moon watched them for a minute before she was satisfied that Pikachu had gotten the hang of it, and then turned to Hau.

"Do you know why I'm having your Pikachu play this game?" She asked.

Hau thought for a moment. "You said he needed to work on agility, right? Then… you're using Litten's quick movements to help Pikachu improve his agility! Because Pikachu has to watch Litten closely, he'll eventually improve both his reaction time, and his ability to follow or dodge movements. And you made it fun by making it a game!"

Moon nodded, pleased with how quickly he'd caught on. "Training doesn't have to be boring or anything. If your Pokemon have fun, they'll enjoy training and get better faster." She clapped her hands. "Okay, so with Rowlet, he needs to build up some endurance. Let's start with flying, because with Rowlet's flying typing it'll be an advantage."

She walked closer to the water, calling Growlithe and Rowlet over to her. She motioned Hau over as well.

"You know how to play volleyball, right?" Hau instantly looked wary, and Moon smothered a laugh, quick to reassure him. "You aren't going to be tossing Rowlet around, don't worry! You're going to be playing a game sort of like tag. What you and Growlithe are going to do is be 'it', and Rowlet is the one you're going to try to tag. Like in volleyball, you'll both have to alternate turns trying to tag Rowlet, and if you miss the other player has to try next. Rowlet, you're job is to fly, staying at height where they _could_ tag you, but you don't want to let them. Let the air currents from the ocean help you dodge them. Do you guys get it?"

Hau gave her a silly salute. "Yes ma'am!"

Giggling, Moon threw her arm up. "Then start!"

Rowlet immediately flapped to get into the air, and began cruising down the beach. With delighted shouts, Hau and Growlithe chased after the owl-like Pokemon.

She kept an eye on them for a few minutes, snickering as Hau tripped on the same Shelder that Pikachu had earlier, before walking back to Abra. Kukui followed, looking impressed.

"Not what you expected?" She asked lightly.

He shook his head with a grin. "I didn't know what to expect, but this is excellent. Not only are the Pokemon having fun while they train, so are their trainers. It was a great idea to turn training exercises into games. Where did you pick this up, cousin?"

Settling down in front of Abra, she crossed her legs and rested her hands on her knees. "Back in Kanto, there are two very strong trainers who are like brothers to me. Sometimes they let me watch them train, but I'd get bored and wander off. So they figured if they could turn training into games that I could join in, they wouldn't have to worry about losing track of me."

Kukui threw his head back and burst into laughter. "Trust brothers to come up with an effective training strategy just so they wouldn't have to babysit!"

When he put it that way, it was hilarious. With another smile, Moon closed her eyes.

"I'm going to meditate with Abra for a bit. When Rotom calls the time, everyone can take a break."

Clearing her mind, she honed in on Abra's presence in front of her. The little psychic Pokemon acknowledged her calmly, and she opened her mind to him. Within their meditation, they gently pushed back and forth, getting a feel for the barriers of each others minds. Slowly, per usual, Abra began to push farther, and Moon began to close her defenses to block him out. He'd been improving rapidly, and she suspected that he was close to evolving. She silently posed a suggestion to practice his Teleport after the break, and he agreed.

Rotom's voice broke through their shared meditation, and she opened her eyes. Time always seem to go faster when she was practicing with Abra. Glancing up, blinking as her eyes readjusted to the sunlight, she stretched. Litten and Pikachu walked back to the porch, the latter looking a little winded but pleased as Litten purred a compliment.

Hau and Growlithe walked back over, a sleepy Rowlet riding on the puppy Pokemon's back. Hau was out of breath, and Growlithe was panting from all the chasing and jumping she'd been doing for the past hour or so.

Moon got to her feet, taking in everyone's conditions. "All right, we'll break for half an hour and then do some less physical work. Make sure not to drink too fast, it'll make you sick."

Abra joined the other Pokemon as Lillie put out bowls of food and water for them, and they chattered at each other while they ate. Moon thanked Lillie as she offered a plate with a sandwich on it, taking a bite as the blonde gave another to Hau, and the last to the Professor. She sat down next to Moon as everyone enjoyed the break.

"So this is how you've been training the past few weeks?"

Nodding, Moon replied, "We started at around Rowlet's level, and just kept adjusting the training as we got stronger. Once I catch more Pokemon, we'll adjust everything to fit them in as well. It takes some planning, but once you get it down, it's easy to figure out what to do next."

"It's quite impressive," Lillie mused. "I never really knew how trainers trained their Pokemon, and I think I like this kind of training very much. It's nice to see all the Pokemon having fun."

"It is," Moon agreed. "I like to start with the games, then move on to individual attacks. Usually I'll find some fallen logs for my team to practice on, or something of the sort, and then keep an eye on them to watch for where they can improve. We do a practice battle against each other at the end of each session, but only to help each other get stronger. Then its straight to the Pokemon Center to get checked over and rest up."

"It's no wonder your Pokemon are this strong, then," a familiar voice said, and Moon turned to the steps, where Captain Illima stood.

"Captain," she greeted, dipping her head in respect. "Have you been here long?"

"I caught the end of the training games before your break," he replied, tilting his head towards her. "I hope I'm not intruding."

Moon shook her head, and Kukui walked over, shaking hands with the young Trial Captain.

"It's been a while, Illima. How were they?" Kukui grinned at the younger man.

"They both passed easily, though now that I've seen even a little of Moon's training, I understand how quickly she was able to do so. It's good to see that she's willing to share her experience with Hau. He's a wonderful trainer on his own, but the extra guidance can only help. Would you all mind if I watched more?"

"Feel free," Moon replied. "In fact… Do you have your Smeargle and Yungoos with you? I think I could use their help for the next part."

XxXxX

By the end of the break, Moon had dragged over several fallen logs from closer to Ten Carat Hill. Yungoos was happy to Bite through the spots she'd asked Smeargle to mark with its paint. She then had the Professor and Illima help her dig holes into the firmer sand closer to the tall grass, and set the tall pieces of wood in them.

Smeargle enjoyed its next task, marking randomly sized and placed circles with 'X's in their centers on each of the five upright logs. There were approximately three sets of marks in four different colors on each log. That done, she thanked Kukui, Illima, and the captain's Pokemon for all their help, and called over the others, plus Hau.

"This next part is also a game, but we'll be scoring points on this one. You see how there are four different colors of marks on these logs? Red, Blue, Green and Yellow. The goal of this game is when I call out a color, you have to be the fastest Pokemon to send an attack at one of those marks. If you miss the mark, you don't get a point. If you hit inside the circle, but not on the X, you get one point. If you hit the X, you get three points. We'll do seven rounds, and whoever has the most points wins this game. Does everybody understand?"

The Pokemon cheered, hopping around excitedly (except for Abra, who merely resigned himself to playing a game he wasn't very good at).

Moon grinned at their excitement, and Abra's mental pout. "Alright, everybody stand in front of a log. Only attack the log in front of you. Move back a bit… a little more… okay! That'll be your starting line for the entire game. When I say the color, you can attack. The first color is… Blue!"

Half an hour later, the logs were damaged beyond use, and Pikachu had emerged the victor with his well-placed Thunderbolt attacks. Litten had been just two points behind. Moon giggled as Hau and his Pokemon celebrated their teammate's win with a group hug, giving them a moment before she whistled for their attention.

"That was great, everybody. Rowlet, your Leafage attacks were pretty accurate, but that small target was hard on you. Next time try to adjust how wide your attack is. The smaller the spiral of leaves, the more accurate you'll be. Pikachu, you had great accuracy, but didn't do a lot of damage. Tomorrow try adding more power into your Thunderbolt while keeping up that accuracy.

Litten, you did really well, but the reason you lost was that you couldn't get to the log fast enough to Bite it before someone else stole the point; we'll work on your ranged attacks tomorrow. Growlithe, you had trouble with this one because you don't have any ranged attacks yet. Let's work to come up with a solution to that. And Abra, your Teleport skills have improved a lot since you've started meditating, keep that up and you'll be able to land those Scratches in no time."

Moon made sure all the Pokemon understood her commentary before smiling at them. "That was great, you guys. Next, we're going to pair up for the next hour. Abra, since you can't move very well without Teleporting, you'll be with me and we'll be working on just that. Pikachu will be with Growlithe, and Litten will be with Rowlet. I want all of you to come up with one counter to one of your partner's moves.

For example, if Growlithe chooses to counter Pikachu's Thunderbolt, she might decide to attack it to block it, or dodge. Figure it out and practice with each other, taking turns to attack. If you get hit and can't go on, have your partner come get me, Hau, or Professor Kukui so we can treat you. Hau, I want you to just watch them. If you have an idea for them, don't tell them, but don't forget it so we can all talk about it at the end. It's important to let the Pokemon figure this out by themselves, and again, we'll all talk about it at the end. Any questions?"

There were none, so she sent them off a little farther down the beach, Hau trailing behind them.

"Abra, try to Teleport to the tree by Professor Kukui's house." Concentrating, Abra disappeared in a burst of light, reappearing about a yard away from his target. Moon eyed the distance. "That was great," she called. "Now try to Teleport repeatedly, to anywhere within two square yards of you! Try to stay within that space!"

Abra nodded, and focused on his task as Moon turned back to the men beside her, taking in their raised eyebrows.

"I think I know what you're trying to get Hau to realize," Illima said, a smile slowly tugging at his lips. "This is quite the training exercise, and he probably doesn't know it yet."

Kukui eyed the Pokemon, watching as they conversed with and gestured at each other to plan their counters. He glanced at Hau, who was watching the Pokemon with amazement. "I gotta hand it to you, cousin, you know what you're doing. Just who are your brothers again?"

Golden eyes gleamed. "That's a secret, for now. I can't show all my cards now, can I?" She glanced back towards Hau'oli outskirts, noting with a small degree of surprise that Kahuna Hala was watching all of them from near the fence. Keeping an eye on the man, she went to coach Abra through another Teleportation drill.

The hour passed quickly, and at the end of it Moon asked for each pair to display their counters.

Pikachu had chosen to work with Growlithe's Bite, and had channeled a Thunderbolt across his body to shock his partner into letting go. Growlithe had, of course, chosen to counter Thunderbolt. She had doubled up her Quick Attack with a Flame Wheel to deflect a majority of the electricity.

She praised their efforts and creativity, and had them go through their thought process with surprising success. Hau was clearly looking at his Pokemon in a new light as they moved to the second group.

Rowlet had decided to counter Litten's Fire Fang by whipping up a narrow Leafage around him in a twister of flying leaves. It not only prevented Litten from getting close enough to pull off the attack, it knocked him a yard and a half away when he tried. Litten had come up with a counter to Leafage, firing a series of Embers that lit up the leaves. The wind fanned the flames to trap Rowlet in a tornado of fire.

Again, she praised the counters and walked through their thought process before turning to Hau, not mentioning that Hala had come up behind him. "What do you think? How could they improve?"

"I think that all four counters were awesome," the boy stated bluntly. "Pikachu's is simple but effective, and maybe if he learned Thundershock he could combine them. That way he could both damage and paralyze his opponent for a followup attack! Growlithe's was the same concept, combining attacks. But the Flame Wheel might be hard to keep up for too long, so if her opponent can keep up their attack, she'll tire out and they could land a hit.

Rowlet did a really good job of using an offensive move as defensive one simultaneously, but Litten's counter showed that he'll have to be careful who he uses it against. It could end up hurting him if his opponent can use a fire type move like that. And Litten's was pretty solid! The only thing I can think of is that he won't be able to see past the flames, so he can't properly prepare for if his opponent retaliates."

All four Pokemon nodded thoughtfully, seeing the sense in his words.

Moon nodded approvingly. "That's where we come in. As trainers, our Pokemon trust us to guide them through battles, but they often have excellent ideas of their own. This exercise was important to seeing first-hand how your team thinks. Each Pokemon will bring you and your team a different perspective, so it's vital to know each of your Pokemon and how they approach problems they're presented with.

This will help you all understand each other better, and work more as a team. It will help you figure out how to choose what Pokemon for what opponent. It will _also_ show you their weaknesses; what they tend to ignore, and what they don't realize they're doing that could cost them a battle."

Kneeling down in front of his Pokemon, Hau smiled at them. "You guys were awesome today, and I'm really lucky to be your trainer. Let's keep getting stronger together!" He yelped as they both tackled him to the sand, laughing as they nuzzled him. He managed to calm them enough for him to sit up. "Thanks for your help, today, Moon, I really appreciate it. Litten, Growlithe, and Abra, too. And Professor Kukui, and Captain Illima and his Pokemon too. Can we do this again tomorrow, Moon?"

"Sure. I was thinking of challenging the Grand Trial in a few days, so this helps my team, too."

"I'm looking forward to facing the both of you!" Hala chuckled at the way his grandson jumped at the sound of his voice. "Looks like you and your Pokemon have been working hard, Hau. That was some wonderful feedback you gave them about their counters, and to Moon's Pokemon as well."

Hau blushed at the praise, and Moon smiled to herself before turning away.

"Moon, where are you going?" Kukui called after her.

She held up her fourth Pokeball. "I made a friend yesterday, but she needs some one-on-one special training. I need a place where the waves aren't so strong, since she might struggle with the tide for a bit."

"What kind of Pokemon is she?" Hau scrambled to catch up, Lillie finally steeling her nerves to follow along after Kukui said he would look after Nebby. Moon waited for the blonde to catch up before she kept walking. Their Pokemon headed closer to Kukui's lab, enjoying the break with grooming and a well-earned nap.

"A Magikarp. I found her in Seaward Cave, she wanted to get strong and evolve so I offered to help. She's so small, though, it's kind of cute."

Finding a slight cove with water only a foot or so deep, she waded in and called out Magikarp. The pale gold Pokemon splashed a bit before catching sight of her trainer, swimming closer.

Lillie gasped. "Moon, she's a shiny! That's very rare!"

Hau nodded as he too got in the water. "Wow, that's so cool. I've never seen a shiny Pokemon before! A shiny Magikarp… when she evolves, she'll be red, right?"

Magikarp preened at Hau's words. He said _when, _not _if_ she evolves. She glanced at her trainer, approving of her friends. Moon smothered a laugh and shrugged.

"Yeah, she's gonna be the strongest Gyarados out there, right?"

The fish Pokemon bobbed up and down in the water, as close as a nod as she could get.

"Then let's get to training!"

Thanks to the Exp. Share, Magikarp had actually gotten a lot stronger, even though the only battle fought had been against Hau. Within the next hour, she had learned Tackle and Flail, an impressive feat, given that Magikarp tended to be slow to train. Moon had to keep hiding her laughter as the fish Pokemon muttered to herself about all the stupid Pokemon and their dumb trainers she was going to Hyper Beam into the sky once she evolved.

One thing was certain, this Magikarp was angry and determined, a very effective combination. By the time she had exhausted herself, it was almost four in the afternoon. Praising her for a job well done, Moon carefully checked her over and fed her some Poke Beans. The fish Pokemon nudged her leg affectionately before being recalled, and then Moon began the walk back to the lab with Hau and Lillie.

"Moon, what were you laughing about the whole time?" Lillie wondered, having noticed but waiting until the training was done to ask.

Moon pushed her bangs away from her face, wanting nothing more than a shower. "Magikarp was ranting about all the trainers and Pokemon that have ever called her weak. Something about Hyper Beaming them into the sky once she evolved."

"You… really can understand them, can't you?"

She turned to Hau, surprised, but slowly nodded. "To some extent, I think anyone can learn to understand their Pokemon, but for whatever reason… It just comes easily to me." She didn't mention her powers, reminded of the fact she _still_ didn't know how to train with them. Maybe asking Abra to take a look in her head could give her some clues. "Magikarp also happens to be very clear with her feelings. That helps, I think."

Lillie sighed wistfully. "I wish I could hear them like you do, but I'm not even a trainer."

"Why not?" Moon asked, surprised. "You look after Nebby so well… even though it can be a little difficult at times, that rascal."

It got a smile out of the girl, at least. "I… I'm not sure, myself. To get a Pokemon from the Island Kahuna, you have to attempt the Island Challenge and I just… don't think that's for me."

Moon hummed thoughtfully, before an idea came to her. She made a mental note to look into Pokemon that don't particularly like to battle, and where to catch one.

"Well, all three of us are still young. We have a lot of time to figure out what we want to do with our lives."

They had reached the lab by then, and Kukui told them that both Illima and Hala had left. Moon stretched, petting the three of her team currently out. "Well, I'm going to head to the Pokemon Center and get my team checked out, and then I'm going to Hau'oli City. Anyone up for a movie?"

They spent the rest of the day relaxing, before walking Lillie home. Moon and Hau went to grab a room at the Pokemon Center. Despite the fact that they were right near home, they were still on their own journeys, and wanted to be as independent as possible.

XxXxX

The next day went much like the first; a morning run, training through games, a more challenging game after the break, and then working in pairs. Even just one day of training showed the difference it made in their Pokemon's abilities. Hau quickly got the hang of taking a more directive role for his team, something that Moon admired. It had taken her weeks to get the hang of seeing what Pokemon needed help with. Hau had managed to do it in a day.

The ended the group session with a mock battle, and it nearly a full minute for Moon's Pokemon to get the upper hand. For the moment, they could no longer sweep him. Hau and Lillie also went with her again to train Magikarp. Moon had seen that the fish Pokemon's incredibly small size could be used to her advantage, and worked on her speed and agility. Once she'd perfected swimming, she improved at a rapid pace. Moon wouldn't be surprised if she evolved within a few months.

She was that determined.

After cleaning up and spending a few hours hanging out with Lillie, Moon and Hau sat in a booth at the Malasada shop. She'd found that Hau focused better when he was eating.

"So what do we know about Kahuna Hala's challenge?" She asked, trying to act serious even though she struggled not to gape at the way the boy across from her was inhaling malasadas.

Hau paused mid-bite. "Fighting types."

"My Abra could help me with that… He should be evolving soon. What do you think you'll go at him with?"

"If I had a thunder stone, I could evolve my Pikachu, since as a Raichu he would have a secondary psychic typing. He's been wanting to evolve since he was a Pichu," he said. "But the only place in Alola that sells them is on Akala Island, and they're expensive."

Moon thought back to the message Tamah had left her at the Pokemon center that morning. She jumped up as she realized what it meant, and tugged at Hau's arm. "I think I can fix that, c'mon!"

The poor boy barely managed to bag up his malasadas before he was dragged out the door and to the Pokemon Center, Pokemon running after them. Darting for the phones, she started dialing.

"What's the rush?" Hau asked once she let go of his wrist. "It couldn't wait?"

"Not with the time zone difference, no," she admitted, waiting for her call to be picked up. They were _both_ supposed to be there…

"Hello? Ah, Moon! Did you get my message?" Green stopped short when he saw the boy next to her, expression darkening. "Who is he."

"Relax, Green. This is Hau, he's my friend and rival. And yeah, I got your message! It's why I called, silly."

Eyes not leaving Hau's image on his screen, Green huffed. "As long as that's _it_. Anyways, I managed to find that old box of evolution stones I had in Gramps' storage shed. Do you want all of them?"

As Hau's jaw dropped, Moon nodded. "I won't use them all, of course, but there are a bunch of Pokemon in Alola that use them to evolve, and there are a couple I want to catch."

Smiling at her, Green messed around with some buttons before he transferred the box. Moon was so glad the swap system for Pokemon in PCs also functioned as an instant transport for objects. She would not have wanted to see the bill for mailing them.

Grabbing the box, she raised it to show Green it had arrived safely. "Thanks, bro. I owe you big for this one. Oh! I can't show you here, but I caught a water type!"

"Nice, what did you get?"

Moon paused, suddenly sheepish. "A shiny Magikarp."

There was a long moment of silence before Green got up and walked away.

"No, Green, come back!" She whined, shoulders slumping. "She's angry and cute and she'll be the strongest Gyarados out there, and－Oh hey, Red! How are you?"

The silent Champion gave her the ghost of a smile, waving his hand in a series of gestures she knew well.

"But Green _always_ drives us crazy. It's why we love him."

Several rapid hand movements followed, and Moon laughed. "You got me there. Tell him he's going to make my shiny Magikarp mad, and she's going to eat him once she evolves."

Red raised an eyebrow, but agreed to relay the message. She brought him up to speed on her Trials, and when she went to introduce Hau, the older boy's red eyes went ice cold.

"Oh not you too," she groaned. "Please stop trying to scare off my friend."

Pulling his hat down over his eyes, Red shrugged, and Moon giggled. "It was good to talk to you, bro. Tell Green I said the same for him. And give Pika a hug for me!"

Her brother nodded with another small smile, motioning once more with his hand before ending the call.

"... The Kanto Champions are your _brothers_?!"

"SSSHHHH!" She clapped a hand over his mouth, looking around to make sure nobody overheard. Luckily, the building was empty except for Nurse Joy, who smiled politely at them, and the man running the Cafe, who ignored them completely. Sighing in relief, she pulled her hand away, picking up the box of evolution stones and motioning for Hau to follow her. She led the group out towards the docks before finding a place to sit.

"They're not my biological brothers," she began, "but they are my brothers. They've looked after me since I've been living with my aunt. I still don't know how she knows them, but it doesn't really matter now. We've been through quite a bit together." _Even though I know for a fact they've been through far more._

Hau leaned back against the wall, lips pressed into a thin line. "I thought she was your mom."

Moon froze at the word, shuddering slightly as memories tries to rise to the surface. She forced them down to deal with later. "… No, she's my aunt. My parents are dead." She exhaled shakily, but managed to control herself as her Pokemon nuzzled her hands and legs.

"I'm sorry, Moon, I didn't mean to bring up bad memories…"

"It's okay," she offered him a smile, though it was weak before she moved the small box full of stones to her lap. She could go through her emotions later; right now, she would focus on what was happening in the present. Opening the box, her eyes widened as she saw how many had been tossed inside. "Damn, Green's been holding out on me!" She grabbed a thunder stone and handed it to Hau. "Think of this as a gift, same way you gave me those three Potions before Illima's Trial."

"Thanks, cousin!" He cheered, throwing his arms around her in a friendly hug, though they both pulled back when the evolution stones almost fell out of the box. Pikachu stood in front of his trainer, hopping from foot to foot in excitement.

All of them looked on in amazement as the electric Pokemon started to glow once given the stone, his silhouette growing bigger and changing as the evolution took place. When the light dissipated, a pleased Raichu floated on his tail.

"That was incredible!" Moon breathed, marveling at the power of evolution. None of her Pokemon had evolved yet, so this was the first time she had seen one in person, and it was everything she'd imagined and more. "Look at you, all fully evolved! Hau, you know what this means, right?"

He met her gaze with his trademark sunny grin. "Training tomorrow is gonna be _wild_, cousin."

She turned to Growlithe, pointing at the box, but the puppy Pokemon shook her head. Not yet. She wanted to be the strongest Growlithe before evolving, and she wasn't there yet. With a grin, Moon ruffled her fur, and secured the box in her bag.

XxXxX

"I'm not strong like you and Hau, Moon, I'm just… I'm weak, unable to do anything. Like when we met! Neither of us had any Pokemon that could save Nebby, but you ran out onto that bridge anyways and I… I just stood there…"

"I don't buy that for a second. You may keep quiet about your past, but even I can tell that you're running from something, or someone. And you did it for Nebby. That takes far more strength than I think you realize. I know you can do amazing things, Lillie. You just have to give yourself a chance."

XxXxX

"Alright, what's got the two of you in such a good mood, yeah?" Kukui met them the next morning at the farthest part of beach from the city front, after having gotten their message from last night.

Hau turned to the man, breathing a little heavily after the morning run, smile firmly in place. "I now have a chance of passing the Grand Trial on my first try."

Moon shot him a _look_. "Are you implying that my training help didn't give you a chance?"

"Wha－no! Of course not, Moon, I don't know what I'd do without you. It was just since my team is still a bit behind you in terms of strength and ability, and－"

"Relax," she laughed, waving off his explanations. "I was teasing you! But go on, show Professor Kukui what you mean."

Hau made a face at her, but he couldn't hold it for long before his usual smile took its place. "I'll be paying you back for your help on this too, just you wait. Alright, come on out, Raichu!"

"Raiiii!" The dual type Pokemon levitated on his tail, cheeks sparking with pride. Kukui whistled, walking around Raichu as he inspected the evolved Pokemon.

"Looking good, Raichu," the professor praised, causing the Pokemon to preen. "Well, Moon, seems you've got _connections_. Thunder stones aren't easy to come by, yeah!"

The two young trainers glanced at each other, thinking of the box still full of evolution stones sitting in her bag. "Yeah, you could say that," Moon grinned, golden eyes sparkling with mischief.

Litten meowed at her, drawing her attention. She raised an eyebrow and the fire type sighed. She hadn't done her own training for several days, and since it involved working on Litten's own judgment and speed, he felt it was long overdue. The rest of the team would no doubt feel the same, he was sure.

"We might be able to do a bit. It will help me see how far each of you have come, so I'll try to work it in," she told her starter.

"What did Litten want?"

"Remember when I said I train alongside my Pokemon, Hau?" When the boy nodded she continued. "I haven't done it while training with you and your team. I figured it wouldn't work all that well, at least not until you guys had gotten comfortable with the training."

She could almost feel Kukui's curiousity, no doubt wondering what else she could possibly do to train. "Why don't you show us a bit?

Moon called to Rotom. "Can you stop us once five minutes have passed?"

"Sure thing, zzztt!"

Turning to her land-trained team, she had them walk away from Hau and Kukui, following them before exhaling slowly. Dropping into her ready-stance, Moon focused. "You know the rules, only physical attacks. Ready? Start!"

Growlithe lunged for her, jaws open to Bite, and Moon twirled, tapping her head as the Pokemon narrowly missed her target. Ducking underneath Litten's Tackle, she immediately launched up from the sand to avoid Abra's Scratch attack, aimed at her ankles. The trainer cartwheeled to avoid a Quick Attack/Bite combo, backflipping clear over all three Pokemon.

"Is that all you got guys?" Moon flipped her hair out of the way, narrowing her eyes. "C'mon, attack like you mean it!"

Sidestepping Litten's next Bite, she batted Abra's claws away from her and darted away to avoid a Tackle. Growlithe's next Tackle clipped her shoulder, and she spun with the momentum, rolling lightly to her feet.

Dodge, deflect, flip. Like a dance, she owned the floor as if she had choreographed the entire exchange. Always appearing one step ahead, only for you to realize she was actually six, maneuvering her Pokemon to her own advantage before they even realized it. She was nimble and quick, golden eyes sharp.

When Rotom called the time, the only hit the Pokemon had managed was the glancing blow to Moon's shoulder in the beginning. Panting slightly, she thanked him. "That was good, guys, but it looks like not practicing for a few days made us all a little rusty. We'll be sure to keep at it."

Her Pokemon voiced their agreement, discussing with each other possible future combinations. Moon crossed her arms, thinking hard. This time, she had felt the familiar, cooling flow of her powers throughout her body as she moved; it had enabled her to evade attacks far more than she knew she usually could, considering how much her team had strengthened the past couple of days. Maybe her powers enhanced her own physical abilities too? It was definitely something to look into…

Of course, that would have to wait until she had calmed down a near-frantic Hau, and had a long lecture about 'being reckless' from Professor Kukui, never mind the fact that the man did pretty much the exact same thing all the time, _without dodging_. She resolved not to let them know the next time.

XxXxX

She wanted to say Hala's Grand Trial was a challenge, but it was almost a joke. The Kahuna was a great man and trainer, there was no doubt about that, but Moon's tactics and the strength of her team made the battle pathetically one-sided. It was over in minutes. Despite the fact that she knew the man was adjusting to the level he usually did for new trainers, she was disappointed.

Hau passed the Grand Trial the next day, after giving his grandfather's Pokemon a chance to rest. It took him barely three minutes longer than Moon to defeat Hala, and Moon allowed herself to return Hau's excited 'thank you' embrace, amused by his enthusiasm.

Lillie congratulated both trainers, and then paused, glancing from her peers to Kahuna Hala. After a long moment, she inhaled slowly and turned to Moon.

"I've been thinking about what you said, the other night. About giving myself a chance. And I think… I think you're right. I kept telling myself I couldn't, because I was always told I couldn't, but… I want to try. And watching you and Hau has taught me so much, so I… I'm going to give it my best." She took another deep breath, and Moon could _feel _the change more than see it, though the way her eyes glinted with determination was a wonderful sight. She twisted her neck to meet Hala's gaze. "Kahuna Hala. I wish to attempt the Island Challenge."

Moon's eyes shone with pride in her friend as the girl chose Popplio, and proceeded to nickname her Odette. She passed the blonde a spare Pokeball, and watched as Lillie spent several minutes explaining to Nebby her choice.

Nebby joined her team with glee.

"I'm going to spend some time here to train, but I'll catch up with the two of you. Just you watch!" Lillie said adamantly.

Hau grinned, clasping his hands behind his head. "I know you will! You're gonna be a great trainer."

"I believe in you, Lillie," Moon told her firmly, holding her gaze. "And I believe that by doing this, the path to the future you wish for will open. But before all that, I think we should celebrate! Hau and I will be heading to Akala Island tomorrow, so let's spend the rest of the day together. I'll give you a boost and help you stock up on some essentials."

Lillie went to protest, but Hau stopped her. "It's okay, think of it as a pay-it-forward system. Like when I helped Moon out before the first Trial, she paid it back by helping me evolve my Pikachu into Raichu! Rivals should help each other out where they can, right?"

A slow, but brilliant, smile graced the blonde's face. "In that case, sure! Thank you, both of you."

It turned into more than just a stocking trip, but it was the most fun Moon had had in a while. After noting that her friend's current outfit wouldn't really be up for the traveling trainers did, she had Hau help her find the girl a new outfit. A white T-shirt with a cropped silvery-blue vest, Capri's, and a pair of sturdy but fashionable ankle boots later, Lillie was well on her way to being prepared for her journey.

She'd been nervous, so nervous, and Moon could see the hesitation in her eyes.

"A journey will show you things you never knew about yourself," she told her. "You'll learn, you'll grow, and you won't be the same Lillie that you started out as. Whatever is in the past will stay there, until you feel ready to confront it. Change starts with you, and you know what? Sometimes a cute new look can really get the ball rolling."

When Lillie asked her to go with her to visit the salon, Moon was quick to agree. Whoever had driven Lillie to run away with Nebby had hurt the girl, that much was obvious. Maybe not with physical blows, but verbal and emotional ones that had stolen her confidence. The only thing Moon could do was keep telling her that she didn't need to be fixed, because she was not broken.

Not broken. Just still at the starting line.

One ponytail and vivid blue streak later, Lillie stared at her reflection in awe.

"I look good," she whispered, and then seemed shocked at the words. Her back straightened, shoulders squaring as she lifted her head. A little louder, a little firmer, she repeated, "I look _good_."

Moon agreed wholeheartedly.

The trio went to the Malasada Shop, having fun like kids should. Lillie called Odette out to start getting to know her partner, the Popplio absolutely smitten with her new trainer. Watching the blonde interact with her starter, Moon smiled softly.

Lillie could do this. And Moon would support her every step of the way.

XxXxX

The golden-eyed trainer was glad to have Lillie see both her and Hau off the next morning, after having called home to let Tamah know she was leaving the island. She decided against calling her brothers, knowing the time difference would make it unlikely for them to pick up, anyways.

Hau pulled them both into a group hug, and Moon made Lillie promise to send a message to Heahea City's Pokemon Center when she attempted her first trial. Both she and Hau also promised to send word to the blonde when they arrived. With that, Kukui motioned for them to climb aboard the boat, and they set off.

It was a bright, clear day, and since the trip would take a little while via boat, she glanced at her team (except for Magikarp, who wouldn't be able to keep up with the boat), Hau calling his own out from their Pokeballs. While her fire types weren't all that partial to water, they did enjoy the breeze. Abra and Rowlet situated themselves near Kukui, one to meditate and the other to nap. Hau's Raichu hovered near the boy, enjoying the ocean spray. Meanwhile, Moon took the time to think.

She had gotten off to a good start with her training, and her team was already developing wonderfully. If she wanted to keep that learning curve up, she'd have to work even harder. But what really bothered her wasn't her team, but herself.

Her own powers were strange and difficult to use. In an emergency, she could throw up a shield without even thinking about it. The issue was that she wanted to be able to explore the limits of her power, but in order to do that she had to be able to use them at will. The problem was figuring out how to access them. Meditating and engaging in psychic 'battles' with Abra had make it clear that her powers weren't just some sort of psychic abilities; they functioned differently, and _felt_ differently.

Perhaps if she tried 'tracking' them, for lack of a better term, by the unique feeling? Working with Abra had allowed her to discover that while psychic powers were obviously centered in the mind, her's was centered _deeper_, in a way. It flowed through her entire body, similar to the energy flowing through every living thing, except hers was more… latent? Until she used it, anyways.

Using her powers to understand Pokemon both in her team and in the wild was getting easier to do the more she was aware of it, at least. Maybe if she tried to train her awareness? Heighten it somehow… Actually, Abra might be able to take a look in her head and help her with that.

As the boat began to slow, and they approached the dock, she resolved to talk with her Pokemon about it later. Kukui guided the boat to the docks, cutting the engine and jumping onto the wooden planks to secure it. On the boardwalk, two figures approached; a dark-skinned woman who walked with an air of confidence and an energetic-looking girl with green pigtails bounding after her.

"Kukui, you made it!" The woman greeted when they were within earshot. "And the trial-goers too, I see. Alola!"

"Alola," Moon and Hau chorused the island greeting as the professor strode forwards to clasp hands with her.

The man laughed. "It's been a while, Olivia. You too, Mallow. Moon, Hau, this is Akala Island's Kahuna, Olivia. Mallow here is the captain of one of this island's Trials."

"Good to meet you!" Hau exclaimed cheerfully, barely shifting as Rowlet came to a landing on his shoulder after he'd gotten off the boat. Raichu hovered closer, and Moon's Pokemon followed her in leaping onto the boardwalk, Abra in her arms. She studied the Captain and Kahuna for a moment, after nodding in acknowledgment.

Olivia was strong, she already knew just from looking. From the power hidden in her stance, to the way her lean but still muscled form shifted as she put a hand on her hip, this woman radiated the calm strength and patience of stone. She seemed the type to spot the right moment, and bring down the crushing weight of a mountain upon her opponent's heads.

Mallow was a little harder to read, earnest and easy-going, but her eyes were sharp and missed nothing. She was a captain for a reason, and youth meant nothing in regards to her skill.

Allowing herself a hidden grin as they made their way into Heahea City, Moon felt excitement bubbling up within her. The real challenge started here.

She and Hau split off from the professor to drop by the Pokemon Center, leaving a message for Lillie as promised, and departing once their Pokemon had been checked over. They had intended to check out the Tide Song Hotel, but were interrupted by two trainers, Sina and Dexio. After going on about a Pokemon called Zygarde, they challenged each of the trial goers to a Pokemon battle.

Dexio was Moon's opponent, their match up first. He sent out a Delibird, and she called Abra forwards, knowing he had been wanting to battle. As soon as Sina declared they could fight, the white-haired girl stomped her foot on the ground once.

Abra waved a hand, and blue light flung Delibird skyward before he teleported above it. Using Psychic again to add power to his attack, he Scratched the dual type and sent it careening into the ground. Teleporting safely to the ground as the dust cleared, Moon could feel Abra's smugness in her mind.

Dexio raised an eyebrow, and recalled his fainted Pokemon before sending out a Glaceon.

"Use Icy Wind!" the blonde commanded, and the Eeveelution sent the freezing winds across the field with a loud cry.

"Psychic," Moon said calmly, and Abra easily shielded himself from the attack. "Pandemonium."

With only a slight effort, the small yellow Pokemon grabbed Glaceon with its psychic powers and proceeded to slam it on the ground repeatedly until it fainted. Abra then gently set it on the ground, knowing there was no honor in letting the Pokemon suffer more injuries after the battle was already over.

Moon allowed herself a small smile before praising her Pokemon, opening her arms to let him Teleport himself into them.

Dexio studied her for a long moment after withdrawing his second Pokemon, giving a nod she was sure he thought was subtle to Sina. "You've trained your Pokemon well. Good battle," he said, and when he held out his hand she shook it firmly. "Wow, Sina, you sure look fired up."

"Of course," the girl said, flipping her hair back. "I always love a battle. Let's get to ours… Hau, was it?"

"Yeah, let's do this!"

While a bit longer than Moon's battle, it was still decided quickly, in Hau's favor. She could see the gears turning in the two stranger's heads, watching subtle hand motions with sharp eyes. Just who were these people…?

Before she could ask for answers, they were gone, and with a shrug Hau darted off again. Running after him with a sigh, she filed away her suspicions for a later time. For some reason, she was certain they would see those two again.

There wasn't much else they needed to do in the city, so they asked Rotom to guide them to Route 4. The electric Pokemon was more than happy to do so, cheerfully zipping about, pausing every so often to keep the two trainers in sight. There were a few trainers that they paused to battle as they were challenged, but none took more than a minute or so to beat.

When they took a break mid-afternoon, Moon noticed they were being followed. Mentally asking Abra to keep an eye on whatever Pokemon was tailing them she ignored it for the moment. The little psychic type nodded sagely, still comfortable in his spot in her bag as she pulled out some supplies to make lunch, grinning as she shooed Hau away from a small campfire Litten had started for her.

The boy pouted, but eventually obeyed and flopped down onto the grass to wait. "I didn't even know you could cook," he said casually, playing a lazy version of tug-of-war with Raichu's tail.

"I've learned some basics," she replied, thanking Growlithe for the mouthful of berries she dropped by her foot. Kneeling to clean them off, she thought back to what her brothers had taught her. "I can make Pokemon food, a bunch of soups, and stuff like grilled veggies. Oh, and I'm pretty good with Poke Puffs! Remind me to bake some the next time we stop by a Pokemon Center to stay the night, I'm sure our teams would like some."

"You should learn to make malasadas," he grinned, pulling one out of his bag.

Rolling her eyes, she shrugged. "I'll try my best to find a recipe."

They ate quickly, wanting to get cover as much distance as possible. Seeing a bit of the berry soup still left, Moon silently asked Abra if the earlier Pokemon was still there. When he nodded, she poured it into one of the biodegradable bowls she had packed, and set it on the ground.

"Can you tell them that they can have it if they want?" She asked out loud. Abra turned to the nearby bushes, concentrating as he reached out with his mind, only to shrug and inform her that the Pokemon wasn't interested in the soup.

Hau seemed to have caught on, and inched forwards. "Hm… Moon, do you mind if I…?"

Waving him forwards, she retreated to finish packing up. By the time she turned back, Hau had coaxed a small Eevee out of the bushes with a malasada. She was a dainty little thing, large brown eyes curious as she took a bite of the offered treat. Apparently liking the taste, she gobbled up the rest of it with glee, licking her lips in satisfaction once she'd finished. She nuzzled Hau's still-outstretched hand in thanks.

"So you like malasadas, like me!" He laughed, petting the friendly Pokemon. "Hey, Eevee, would you like to be friends? We would battle a lot, but we'd be able to eat malasadas together, too!"

Eevee's brown eyes widened at the opportunity, and she purred, nodding enthusiastically. Beaming, Hau pulled out a spare Pokeball and gently tapped it against her cheek, Eevee disappearing into the Pokeball in a flash of red light. Mere seconds later, the device clicked, signaling a successful capture.

"Alright! I got an Eevee!" The boy cheered, causing Moon to smile.

"Eevee's are rare in this area," Rotom noted, hovering closer. There was a _whirring_ sound as he scanned the Pokeball. "Amazing, zzztt! This Eevee knows Ice Beam!"

Moon's golden eyes widened in surprise. "That _is_ amazing. It must be an egg move, there's no other way for a wild Eevee to know it. And Rotom! You can scan a Pokemon's moves while they're still in their Pokeball?"

The possessed Dex dipped up and down mid-air, the closest it could get to a nod. "Of course! The Professor made sure to program me with that function as well as the PokeDex and camera function."

That would certainly be an advantage when it came to training newly-caught Pokemon. Filing it away for later, she finished packing up, glancing at the sun. "We should get going, Hau. We still have a ways to go before Paniola Town. And… Oh! Wait a second…" Silently apologizing to Abra for disturbing him, she dug through her bag. "Since your Eevee knows Ice beam, I want you to have this! I found it back in Seaward Cave."

"A Never-Melt Ice!" Hau gasped in recognition. The smile that lit up his face was more than worth giving up the rare item, in Moon's opinion. "Thanks, Moon!" He swooped in for a hug, which she returned with a giggle.

Moon found herself wishing good speed for Lillie, because she was certain things would be even better when the three of them were together.

XxXxX

Moon walked more carefully now that she had an egg to look after. One of the ranch workers had given it to her (after she'd bumped into the woman while working with a Stoutland she'd paged), and she could barely contain her excitement. She wanted so badly to know what kind of Pokemon was inside, but at the moment, the egg didn't seem close to hatching. Still, she cradled it carefully in her arms .

"I wonder how long it'll take to hatch," she mused as they continued their trek towards Brooklet Hill. Hau hummed thoughtfully, making several faces as his thoughts ran rampant－Moon could practically _feel _them bouncing off the inside of his head.

"It's probably a Pokemon that lives locally, since that's what Paniola Ranch specializes in. Maybe a Miltank!"

Moon looked down at the egg. It didn't _feel_ like a Miltank, to her powers. It was familiar, but barely. Just enough to know that it wasn't a Miltank. "Don't you think the lady would have said so if she knew what the egg was? If it was from their breeders, they'd probably know at least what two Pokemon it could be."

"Ah, you're right! Now I'm even more curious," he grinned brightly at her.

"... Me, too."

XxXxX

Route 5 was pretty hectic. With a lot of wild Pokemon and a lot of good training areas, Moon and Hau spent several days working with their teams. 'Bulking Up', as Hau called it. There were a few trainers scattered about that they challenged after splitting up for one day.

That was also the day they met Gladion.

Moon had just finished dealing with a group of Team Skull Grunts when she felt electricity thrumming nearby. Circling back around, she managed to catch Hau as he stumbled backwards, recalling his fainted Raichu.

Eyes shifting to yellow, she studied the boy across the clearing as her friend steadied himself.

He looked like Lillie.

Not just his features, but the way he felt. Except where Lillie was gentle, like a calm evening tide drifting over the sand of the beach, this boy was angry waves in the middle of an ocean storm and the dangerous fragility of glass.

Her battle with him was more than humoring a strength-obsessed child, though. When she looked closely she could see the pain hidden in his eyes, similar to Lillie's but at the same time sharper.

Just who had hurt them…?

"Growlithe, Finale."

With Gladion's Zubat down in one hit, she waited for him to call out his beast. She could sense it from across the field, like a patchwork puzzle in which all pieces, though mismatched, fit perfectly.

"Let's go, Null!" Gladion shouted, lips pulling back into what should have been a snarl but instead came across as a grimace.

_He's too blind to find his own strength,_ Moon thought sadly as she motioned for Litten to switch out with Growlithe. They crossed tails as they passed each other, and Growlithe barked out encouragement for her teammate.

Type: Null was not something of nature, she could feel it. Harvested from nature seemed like the more accurate phrase, and yet, it was somehow as natural as all Pokemon. It glanced back at Gladion right before it tensed for battle, and Moon could see the love in its gaze.

She let Gladion take the first move.

"Tackle!"

"Business deal."

Litten knew why he needed to win in such a manner, and shared Moon's conflicting feelings about it, but he slid beneath Null's charging form and sunk flaming teeth into its belly. Null screeched in pain, kicking out and flailing, but Litten simply twisted out of the way.

Sighing, Moon met her starter's gaze. "Litten, give it a fairy tail ending."

Clawing his way up between Null's front legs, the small fire type clamped his opponent's long neck in a wicked Bite, before kicking off the damaged area and unleashing a Flamethrower point-blank into its face.

_So Litten's learned a new move,_ she thought proudly before she focused back on the battle. Not that she needed to. Litten twirled gracefully through the air to land in front of her, and Null crashed to the ground.

She felt sorry for Gladion, she really did, but until he realized just why he couldn't truly win the way he was, there was nothing to be done.

As he turned to stalk off, light burst behind her eyes, and her mouth spilled words before she even processed what she'd seen. "He's not the one who will make you strong."

Gladion whirled to stare at her, shock warring with anger on his face, but when he looked at her, he couldn't seem to say anything. Whatever he saw in her eyes left him speechless.

He left without another word.

XxXxX

Magikarp evolved during the water-themed Trial.

She'd taken one look at Wishiwashi's school form, narrowed her eyes (which was actually terrifying, and Moon didn't think anyone had ever seen a Magikarp do so), and let loose an ear-splitting roar before she started to glow.

When the light dissipated, a ruby-red six-foot Gyarados flung herself out of the water and smacked her opponent across the face with a powerful Aqua Tail. When Wishiwashi went reeling, Moon quickly called out for a Finale, and  
Gyarados fired off an incredibly fast Hyper Beam that finished the battle.

"Whoa… Gyarados, you're amazing!" Moon exclaimed, causing her Pokemon to preen, scales shimmering like gems in the evening light. She swam back to where Moon stood on solid ground and lowered her head to gently nudge her trainer. "You're the best, and we're gonna show the whole world."

A rumbling growl sounded in agreement, and after a few more words of praise and pats Moon recalled the newly evolved Pokemon, and turned her gaze to a sparkling-eyed Lana.

That day, the young Trial Captain of Brooklet Hill made space in her heart for another obsession besides Kyogre.

Accepting her Waterium-Z with a quiet thanks, Moon resolved to get the hell away as soon as possible. Lana seemed nice, but she was a bit… intense, in a very weird way.

XxXxX

Hau cleared the Trial several days later, his Rowlet evolving into Dartrix, and a week after that found Lillie calling out their names from behind them on Route 6. She greeted them by grabbing them into a group hug, and Moon felt fit to burst with pride, seeing how happy and confident the girl looked in comparison from when they first met.

She showed off her Trial Amulet with enthusiasm, careful not to drop Odette, who had also evolved into a rather adorable Brionne.

"I even caught more Pokemon!" She gushed, and quickly called them out. "This is Tippi, we met on Route 5 a week ago. And this is Vivio, we met just a couple days ago!"

"A Fomantis, and an alternative color Eevee, zzztt!" Rotom supplied immediately, hovering closer to take a picture.

Moon crouched down to look the two Pokemon over. "They're so cute! They look good, Lillie, you've taken care of them really well."

"Yeah, your Brionne, too," Hau added with a smile. "This is great that we're all here now! This is gonna be so much fun, cousin, we're gonna knock the Island Challenge right off its feet!"

They spent the rest of the day catching up, introducing their teams to each other (and keeping an eye on Nebby, who wanted out of its Pokeball for a bit). Hau's Eevee struck up a fast friendship with Vivio, much to Lillie's relief.

"Tippi doesn't really like to cuddle," she explained. "But Vivio is very affectionate, so sometimes Tippi gets a little annoyed with her. It's so nice that Hau's Eevee doesn't mind!"

After hearing that, Growlithe soon joined the two when it was time for a cuddle pile.

Lillie stared wide-eyed at the egg Moon carried (having begun alternating between holding it and having it secured in her bag), eyes bright as they discussed what might be inside.

Route 6 didn't give the trio much trouble, save for when they were wandered down the eastern path towards Royal Avenue. Surprisingly, it was Lillie who stepped forward, her and Odette taking out the Team Skull Grunt and his Drowzee with ease. She frowned at the petty criminal in such a scolding manner that Moon couldn't help but think of as motherly, though she managed to hide her mirth.

Hapu and her Mudsdale seemed amused by it, at least.

Training together with Lillie was even more productive than with just Hau, Moon quickly found. With the addition of another water type to the group training, it gave her Pokemon a better range of practiced counters. Now that Gyarados had evolved, she worked with Hau on developing resistance to electric type attacks. The shiny Pokemon was just small enough to move easily on land via hovering using her natural flying type energy, rendering the dual type Pokemon near unstoppable.

By the time they reached Royal Avenue, Lillie's team was almost as strong as Hau's. They stopped by the Pokemon Center first, getting their teams checked over and restocking on supplies. Moon also bought the TMs for Energy Ball and Aerial Ace, hoping to expand Abra and Growlithe's range of attacks. So far, the small psychic type only knew three moves, two of which were of the same typing, and the puppy Pokemon had mentioned wanting to learn a cool new move.

Once their Pokemon were given a clean bill of health, the trio and their Pokemon headed for the Malasada Shop. Grabbing one of the larger booths towards the back so they could call out their teams, Hau brought back two massive trays of Malasadas.

Ignoring the looks of shock and amazement people were given her tiny, shiny Gyarados (who was coiled around her shoulders like some kind of bizarre－and angry－shawl), Moon stretched. Litten followed suit, a contented purr rumbling in his throat.

"This is the life," Hau hummed blissfully, taking a huge bite out of a Malasada. His Eevee nodded in agreement, neck deep in a pile of the treats. Odette chortled at the messy eater, gently brushing crumbs off the smaller Pokemon's fur with her flippers.

Lillie brushed her blue-streaked bangs out of her eyes, smiling as she ran her hands over the leaves on Tippi's head. The grass type chirped at her happily, for once in a mood for a small show of affection.

"I'm so glad I caught up to you guys, the Island Challenge is so much more fun when we're all together!" The blonde sighed happily, gazing around at her companions.

"That reminds me," Moon sat up a little straighter, feeling Gyarados shift her weight as she did. "For the Wela Volcano Park Trial, should we draw straws or something for the order we'll do it in? We should also probably give the Trial Captain some time in between to let his Pokemon rest up."

"Good idea! I don't have straws, but if we do this…" Lillie pulled a pen out of her backpack and tore a napkin into three pieces, numbering them before she flipped them over and mixed them up. "Alright, pick your turn."

Moon grabbed the one closest to her, ending up with number two. Lillie would go first, and Hau last. Satisfied with the outcome, they relaxed for a little while longer. The Pokemon appreciated the break, too, minding to keep themselves quiet in the restaurant. Even Nebby (staying mostly hidden behind Growlithe as it chattered with Vivio in the corner) was doing its best to not draw attention.

Rotom, who had left his PokeDex body in order to eat some Malasadas, zipped around over their heads, quietly scolded by Dartrix and encouraged by a cackling Raichu.

When Abra called for her attention, Moon was brought out of the serene atmosphere. He had been rooting around her head as she had asked, and could definitely see that her mind was different than most humans. Not only that, but once he saw that, he could sense that both Hau and Lillie were different in the same way, though not to the extent that Moon was. However, he wasn't sure what it meant, or how they should train their own abilities.

"Well, it's better than nothing. Thanks, Abra." She rubbed the short yellow fur on his head with a small smile.

"What was Abra saying?" Lillie asked curiously, resting her elbows on the table.

Moon hummed, but decided that there was no harm in telling her friends, though she did keep her voice soft as to not be overheard. "Since I was a kid, I've had these powers that let me sense Pokemon in the area and also understand them, and in emergencies I can throw up a barrier, kind of like a Protect. I think they also help me be physically stronger. I asked Abra to look in my mind to see if he could learn anything about it, but the only thing he could find was that my mind feels different than most humans. But he said you guys' minds feel different too, but in the same way as mine."

"Whoa… that sounds so cool!" After a moment, Hau tapped a finger on his chin thoughtfully. "I've heard of people who are Psychics, and there are some legends of humans who can use aura. Maybe it's something like that?"

"Ah! Yes, legends of Aura Guardians have been around for centuries, but there hasn't been one in the last seven decades or so. You said you can sense the presence of Pokemon? That sounds very much like the records of aura that I've read," Lillie said, excited. "That's incredible, Moon!"

"If it is, then we should probably try to figure out how to train for it. Abra _did_ say you guys have the same thing going on, though not as much as mine. Maybe because you've never used it?"

"Wait, really?" Hau's eyes were wide. "Are you sure?"

Lillie was quiet for a long moment, eyes distant as she lost herself in memories before sighing. "It would explain some things… Would… would it be okay if we found somewhere private to speak? There's something I want to tell you guys."

XxXxX

Moon's hands shook as Lillie explained what her mother had done to Nebby, to her and her brother, and the Type:Nulls. About how her brother, Gladion (and oh, how the pain in his eyes hadn't even begun to describe the horrors he faced), had left to get away nearly a year earlier. How she couldn't bear to see Nebby being hurt, so she took it and fled, hoping to find a better life.

So she took Lillie's and Hau's hands and explained how Team Rocket had murdered her parents. How Red and Green became her surrogate brothers, how she wanted to dismantle Team Skull before they could go down that path, and more about her powers.

And Hau gripped their hands firmly and quietly explained about how his father had abandoned him and his mother, unable to face his life in Alola, hating being compared to Hala. How he was so afraid he'd never measure up to his grandfather, how he just wanted to help even if he wasn't able to.

In that moment, all three of them could feel the powerful connection between them. They were friends and rivals, but now they were also as close to family as could be. They would support each other to the ends of the Earth and then some, and all three of them knew it in every fiber of their being. The connection flared, the trio now able to feel each others minds and hearts.

When the euphoric sensation died down, they remained where they were, hand in hand. Energy thrummed still, all around them, within them.

Later, they would look back on it and realize that they had formed an unbreakable connection through their auras, forever recall it as the moment they became Bonded, but in that moment, there was simply peace.

XxXxX

After spending the night piled atop two beds pushed together in their shared room at the Pokemon Center, they decided to check out the Battle Royal Dome. Recognizing Professor Kukui immediately, Moon still kept silent, sensing that he didn't want his cover blown.

Seeing Gladion was a surprise, though more for him than the trio. Lillie, though she faltered for the briefest of moments, simply nodded to acknowledge his presence. Moon knew the girl was hurt that her brother had abandoned her to face their mother's insanity alone, but was proud of her for looking past that and recognizing that the boy had limits to what he could take, too. For his part, Gladion stared at Lillie, eyes bugging out slightly as he realized who she was. Clearly shaken, he still angrily accepted the offer to participate in the competition, which might not have been the best choice, seeing as his opponents were Moon, Hau, and the Professor's secret alter ego.

Moon won, though not by much. Hau was improving quickly, and was quite the challenge for her. The best thing to come of that battle was that after Lillie had congratulated all the participants, Abra began to glow. His body grew larger, weight shifting to his legs, and when the bright light faded, Kadabra twirled his spoon between his claws lazily.

"You certainly chose to wait a while," Moon grinned down at him, and she could feel his amusement. She just needed to be patient, was all. This was simply the best time to evolve.

_Patience, huh…_ Moon thought as they made their way towards the exit, waving a farewell to Gladion (though he only scoffed and stalked away). _Waiting for the best time…_

Those two thoughts would be stuck in her head for the next several months.

XxXxX

While Lillie took on the Wela Volcano Trial under the watchful eye of Captain Kiawe, Hau took to the beach on Route 7 while they waited, and Moon the water. Gyarados was trying to learn a move on her own to show her trainer she would keep getting stronger, so the white-haired girl decided to meditate with Kadabra while they waited for Lillie to return.

The psychic type slowly nudged her senses inwards, going through her memories after receiving permission. When she felt Hau settle down next to them, she held out her hand. He took it, and she pulled him into the shared meditation, gently guiding him through it. His thoughts were scattered at first, focused on one thing and then another, but as the minutes passed he was able to clear his mind and just breathe.

For a first meditation, he was doing well, and she shared that feeling of pride with him, hiding a smile as he returned it with a wave of bashfulness. What seemed like only seconds later, all three could feel Lillie approaching, and the two humans reached out for the other. The blonde grasped their hands firmly, mimicking their posture, and was pulled in as soon as she settled.

Meditating with their minds linked－even though only Moon and Kadabra could initiate that part at the moment－felt more like coming home than experiencing something new and profound. Their minds fit together perfectly, opening up to each other as if to recreate the moment they first felt that powerful connection.

Lillie felt as if she could stay this way forever and not mind one bit, Hau agreeing with the thought but also considering that he would probably miss malasadas a lot. Moon's amusement rippled across the trio, and she reminded them that there were wonderful things to experience outside of their heads, too.

"Like clearing a Trial," Lillie said out loud, and with that everyone slowly pulled themselves back and opened their eyes. Her spring green eyes sparkled with joy as she held up her Trial amulet.

"Congrats, cousin! That didn't take you long at all."

Rotom zipped out of Moon's bag, screen displaying a smiling face. "Only forty-five minutes, zzztt!"

Giggling, Moon leaned back on her arms, noting Gyarados had returned to lounge behind her. "Nice work on timing it, Rotom. I take it most of that was spent climbing the volcano?"

"It's quite the hike," Lillie nodded with enthusiasm. "And there's a ton of Pokemon, too! I'm sure you'll find it interesting, both of you."

"Then I guess I'm up next." Moon got to her feet, patting Gyarados' neck before recalling her. She checked over the rest of her team before calling them back as well, saving their strength for the Trial itself. The only one she left out was Litten, who disliked Pokeballs. "Will you guys keep an eye on the egg?"

Hau held out his hands, so she gave it to him, smiling to herself as the boy curled around it. "We got it, Moon. Don't take too long, I want to clear the Trial before sundown, too!"

XxXxX

Moon enjoyed the challenge the Trial presented, finding it clever to assess a trainer's observation skills. The Alolan Marowak Kiawe had carefully raised were wonderful opponents, though not a match in terms of Gyarados' power. The Totem Salazzle had incredible defense, as well, forcing the shiny to put her personal training to the test by calling forth a massive wave, her newly-learned Surf. In the long moments it took for the steam to clear after the water hit the hot stones, Moon praised her Pokemon's hard work.

With Salazzle down for the count Kiawe acknowledged her win, presenting her with a Firium Z Crystal, some Quick Balls, and updated her ride pager to include Charizard.

"Your Gyarados is a splendid battler," the dark-skinned teen said, eyes holding nothing but respect for the dual type as he gazed up at her. She preened, extending her neck to gently headbutt his bare chest. He chuckled, hand gliding over crimson scales.

Moon nodded proudly. "She's been working hard to prove to those that passed her by that she can be the strongest Gyarados, no matter her size. She's well on her way to achieving that goal, I'm certain."

Litten meowed, jumping onto his teammate's head from Moon's shoulder and purring loudly. His teammate was already the strongest Gyarados as far as he was concerned. She could charge her Hyper Beam in less than half the time it normally took, had a glare that could intimidate a Bewear, and lovely ruby armor with near-perfect defense.

Smiling at her Pokemon, Moon turned back to the Trial Captain.

"She certainly is," Kiawe grinned. "I wish you and your team well on your Island Challenge."

"Thank you, Captain."

XxXxX

After she had met up with her friends again, Hau congratulated her, returned her egg, and then made a mad dash for the Trial site. Sharing a look of fond exasperation with Lillie, the girls set to grooming their teams, working together to ensure each Pokemon was perfectly cleaned and brushed. They were just starting in rubbing the specialty oil Moon had bought on Gyarados' scales to keep them healthy when she felt Gladion's approach. Having Kadabra mentally alert Lillie, they waited for the boy to come to them.

It didn't take long.

"I watched you clear that Trial. How the hell did you get so strong?"

His voice was weak, compared to the anger and frustration that had colored it until now. While he stared at his sister, Moon looked him over, noting with sadness how run-down and defeated he looked. But she kept quiet, because this was something Lillie needed to do. She still had Kadabra take a quick look at his surface thoughts for anything dangerous.

"I had people who supported me unconditionally," Lillie said softly. "I had people who could and did teach me everything they knew, and then stayed with me so we all could keep improving together. My weakness…" Here she sighed. "My weakness caused me to let Nebby be hurt until the last possible moment. My weakness caused me to allow Mother to keep losing herself. My weakness caused others to be hurt, trying to protect me. I didn't want to be the reason for anyone's pain. Not Mother's… not Nebby's… not yours."

Gladion swallowed hard, hands shaking. "How… how do I do the same?"

"Ditch Team Skull, for one," Moon shrugged, her sudden intrusion into the conversation reminding him that she was very much present. "Their boss may have some physical strength, but nobody who leads a bunch of petty criminals can be truly strong."

"And then what?" He scoffed, glaring at her through dulled eyes. His body curled inwards, away from her, every motion defensive. "I can't exactly go back to a home that doesn't exist."

"Then come with us." She replied evenly, keeping eye contact to show how serious she was. She knew with everything in her that he needed this. Needed friends, people to stand by and support him. Needed people who could help him overcome his past, like Lillie was. "We train hard, and I can gauruntee you will see results within a week."

"It's true," Lillie insisted, pulling his gaze back to her. "Even back when I was just watching Moon and Hau train, I learned so much! They gave me the courage to try the Island Challenge on my own, and now I have my own team, my own partners. We're getting stronger every day. At least give it a chance!"

His hand lifted to partially cover his face, gritting his teeth as he considered his options. Moon could tell that he didn't have many.

Finally, he growled. "Fine. Whatever. At least this way I know where you are."

From the way Lillie's eyes widened, hope and relief swirling in their depths, Moon could guess that Gladion was not one to show affection or concern to anyone, not even his sister.

"Thank you, brother," she said quietly, giving him a small but still loving smile. "We're waiting for Hau to finish his Trial, but after that we'll make dinner and find a place to camp for the night."

"Training will start early," Moon informed him as she went back to oiling Gyarados' scales, the Pokemon having waited patiently for her trainer to finish talking with Gladion. "Since the next Trial is at Lush Jungle, we'll spend a few days training up with you and then keep moving, training as we travel." Listening to Gyarados for a moment, she nodded. "Yes, that's perfect. Thanks, Gyarados. She says that while she was out exploring, she found some good training spots on some of the smaller islands farther away from the coast that can double as camp sites. We can head there once Hau gets back."

Noting her brother's incredulous expression, Lillie giggled. "Moon can speak to and understand Pokemon perfectly. Training with her is quite the experience."

Moon could almost hear Gladion questioning his decision already.

XxXxX

Once Hau got back, having cleared the Trial, the girls congratulated him and then explained that Gladion would now be training with them. He welcomed the other boy with his trademark grin, merely shrugging off the glare he got in return.

Securing her egg in her bag, she led the way down to the water and paged a Lapras, the other two Trial-goers following her lead. After being herded towards the sea by her own water type, she motioned for Gladion to take the Lapras she paged, and wrapped her arms around Gyarados' upper neck. Thankfully Litten was good at balancing on his' teammate's head, and Moon had already returned the rest of her team to their Pokeballs.

The shiny Pokemon plowed through the ocean, headed directly for the island she'd found that was sheltered from almost all directions, Moon clinging to her back. The three Ride Pokemon followed without prompting. It didn't take long for the trainers to reach the small island, ducking underneath a curtain of vines to enter what at first seemed like a cave in an otherwise solid ring of rock.

Coming out the other side, they quickly discovered that the island had a natural wall of tall rocks shielding it from outside view, the tunnel the only access point.

"This is perfect, Gyarados, nice find," Moon hugged her Pokemon as she was taken to the shore. Gyarados let out a rumble of contentment, fanning out her fins with pride. Rubbing the scales on the shiny Pokemon's nose, she quickly called out her team and tossed her bedroll to the side. "Litten, Growlithe, can you start up a fire? And Kadabra, I need your help setting up the tarps."

The others thanked the Lapras' for the ride, Lillie supplying some Poke Beans for each before the three large Pokemon took their leave. With well-practiced ease, Lillie and Hau also called out their Pokemon and set to work, pulling out the food and cooking supplies. They moved around and with each other like a dance; everyone knew their part, and did it to the best of their abilities.

When Gladion just stood there awkwardly, Moon called to him. "You can call out your team, it'll be good for them to stretch their legs and get to know the others. All the Pokemon practice and sleep together, so let's give them some time to introduce themselves."

Nebby bobbed up and down, its version of a nod. "Pew!" It exclaimed cheerfully, motioning to Gladion's belt. Moon wasn't sure if he agreed with the concept or was just too shell-shocked to protest, but one by one he called out Type:Null, Zubat, and a black lizard-like Pokemon Rotom quickly announced as a Salandit. As the other Pokemon finished their 'chores', they approached to greet the newcomers.

With Kadabra agreeing to let Moon know if any issues between them arose, she got started on dinner. Lillie roped her brother into helping prepare food for the Pokemon, and Hau put the final touches on the camp, clearing the designated sleeping area of any rocks and shells. They didn't often opt for tents, usually only throwing up a tarp to provide cover in case it rained while they were sleeping in their bedrolls.

It wasn't long before the soup was ready, and once food bowls had been given to each Pokemon she served out the human food. She made sure to give Gladion extra, having seen how thin he was even with his hoodie. When was the last time he had a proper meal? She'd have to get his weight up if he was to work his way up to their level in training.

"Moon." Hau drew out her name for several seconds as he took his bowl. "You're such a good cook. You would make great malasadas, I'm sure of it!"

She rolled her eyes. "I will keep looking for a recipe. Maybe you could ask your grandfather the next time we're at a Pokemon Center, he might know someone who can give me some tips."

"And maybe you could teach me how to make Poke Puffs," Lillie suggested. "Hau said you mentioned those, before I caught up with you two. I think everyone would enjoy them!"

Gladion was quiet as he ate, simply observing as the others conversed in the fading light. Moon thought about pulling him into the conversation, but ultimately let him be. It wouldn't end well if he was overwhelmed, she was certain. She refilled his bowl when he devoured his first, and when it was time to sleep gave him her bedroll, since he didn't have his own. He almost protested, but one look at her face kept him silent. He only relaxed when he saw that she still had a blanket, and several warm Pokemon curled around her.

Knowing the next morning would arrive all too soon, she settled down to sleep. She already had a plan for tomorrow's training set; all Gladion would have to do was keep up.

XxXxX

Gladion was in worse shape than Moon had originally thought; he was fast but had no endurance. At least his Pokemon were healthy and fit, and did well on their first day of 'Boot Camp', as Hau had affectionately dubbed her standard training routine.

They'd had to do more laps than usual because the island was small, but as soon as they were done she pulled Gladion to meditate with Kadabra and herself, but didn't tell him what he'd be doing just then. First, she called over both their teams. Lillie and Hau no longer needed her to come up with training exercises for their own teams, so right now she'd show Gladion the ropes.

"Alright. Gladion, I want Type:Null to pair off with Litten. We beat you guys last time because Litten is smaller than Type:Null, which makes him faster and more agile, harder for bigger Pokemon to hit. We have a training game for that, if you want your Pokemon to try it."

He hesitated a brief moment, but at length nodded. "Null, follow her instructions for now."

Shooting him a small smile, glad he was listening, she stepped forwards and explained the Mirror Game to the chimera Pokemon. Watching to make sure it understood, a minute or so into the game she nodded and turned back to Gladion.

"Your Zubat has good attack power, but he's got low endurance. The best way to fix that is to have him fly a lot, to build up the muscles in his wings. Zubats are mostly wing, anyways, so that will also up his attack and defense. Have him circle the inner island just below the top edge of the rocks. He can rest when he needs to, but he should try to push himself a little.

"As for your Salandit, he's pretty young, so general all-around training will help him right now. I think pairing him off with Growlithe is a good idea, since they share the fire typing, and Growlithe's basics are solid. She can work with Salandit on a bit of everything. That sound good?"

"You have them train on their own?" Gladion sounded more curious than anything, something Moon took as a good sign.

"Every Pokemon has their own natural fighting style. Doing it this way allows them to develop that, as well as learn to assess situations on their own. Your Pokemon all have their own thoughts and ways they react to things, and if you know how your team thinks, you'll work together better. Plus, sparring with other Pokemon not part of your team gives them a better training variety."

Gladion nodded slowly, not entirely convinced, but willing to test the theory. He told his Pokemon to do as she said, and then allowed himself to be guided over to Kadabra. Moon instructed him to sit cross-legged and relax the best he could as she spoke.

"Meditating is actually good for your body, and with practice will increase your focus. It'll help you stay calm in messy situations and think fast. Plus, it's great if you get any psychic types, since they'll benefit from meditating with you. For this time, just concentrate on breathing deeply, in seven seconds, hold seven seconds, exhale seven seconds. Focus on your lungs expanding and contracting. It's fine to focus on the numbers, too. Rotom will tell us when it's time to do the next training set."

She could _feel_ his frustration, but he did as she said. With Hau, she didn't need to have him meditate as a regular part of his training routine－he was naturally calm, despite his high energy levels. He kept a cool head in bad situations even though his reactions were sometimes over-the-top.

Gladion did not. He was high-strung, a bundle of complicated emotions and nerves, hidden within a patchwork shell of anger and an obsession with strength. He needed to learn to control his emotions, instead of letting his emotions control him. Until he was able to get calm and stay calm, his Pokemon would always be on edge as they sensed his deeply-internalized issues.

The next week fell into a welcome routine. They woke up at six in the morning, courtesy of Rotom's alarm function, and made breakfast. They then tidied the camp, themselves, and stretched. Running was followed by targeted physical exercises and meditation, which Hau and Lillie had begun to join in on while the Pokemon sparred in pairs. Sometimes they were given individual assignments, like creating counters for their partner's attacks. Other times they were tasked with working together to find a solution for a problem they faced in battle.

At the end of that hour, they discussed as a group the results of the training exercise. Despite his initial misgivings, Gladion quickly saw the benefits the feedback discussions gave his Pokemon, as well as himself. It warmed Moon's heart to see him opening up to his Pokemon, really listening to them for perhaps the first time. It wasn't too long before he began to open up to his fellow trainers.

After a noon break for lunch and rest, they would do challenge games for accuracy, consistency, and range. Once that hour was done, they did another round of stretches, and then another round of laps. Then came one-on-one training, each trainer working with their own team.

As night fell, they would groom the Pokemon while dinner cooked, then eat together before cleaning up and going to bed. As the days passed, they slowly woke up closer and closer to each other. Moon, Hau, and Lillie were already comfortable sleeping sprawled across each other, but had refrained so as not to make Gladion uncomfortable. But when the temperature dropped at night, sleeping in one giant pile came naturally.

At the end of the week, Moon asked Gladion what he thought of the training. He was quiet for a moment, absently rubbing between his newly-evolved Golbat's ears, the Pokemon squeaking happily at the attention.

"It's probably the best training method I've ever seen," he said at last, offering her a lopsided grin. "It never crossed my mind that training could be fun. For me _or_ my team. But we've gotten so much stronger in just one week with it, and… Thank you, Moon. For inviting me to come with you guys. For being friends with my sister, helping her become strong."

"Oh don't get sappy on us now," Moon deadpanned, though her eyes sparkled with mirth that gave her away. "You can still travel with us, you know."

"... Really?"

"Of course, cousin!" Hau exclaimed, looping an arm around the other boy's shoulder. "You're one of us now!"

"Oh, we should have a name," Lillie gasped.

"Dream Team," Moon cackled, causing the others to laugh along with her. The fact that Gladion didn't protest to being hugged, or included in their group, was amazing progress.

XxXxX

The four of them made their way to Route 8 the next morning, utilizing their newly updated ride pagers to return to the mainland, Lillie sharing a Charizard with her brother.

They skirted around the Aether Foundation building at Lillie's request, quietly letting Gladion know what his sister had told them. Neither sibling was willing to risk being recognized by the employees and so they hurried to put some distance between them and the building. They did bump into a foreigner, a scientist called Colress, who gave them a TM for Flame Charge before practically vanishing.

"What an odd man," Lillie murmured as they continued walking.

"You're just upset that he had the same blue-streak idea, aren't you?"

"... It is rather off-putting, I'll have you know."

Gladion chuckled, head tilted up enough for both eyes to be seen. "You can always change the color of your streak," he shrugged. "It looks better on you, though."

Lillie raised an eyebrow at him teasingly. "Is that a _compliment_?"

"A well-earned one."

As Moon watched Lillie's face light up like a tree on Christmas, she allowed herself a small moment to send a prayer to Mew, Arceus, and the Tapus, a 'thank you' for guiding the four of them together. For letting them heal.

XxXxX

None of the trainers on Route 8 gave them much of an issue, taking their losses with grace. The group dropped by the fossil restoration center that was still a work in progress, and the motel room Gladion had been staying in until recently. They rested there for the night, then helped the boy pack his few belongings and vacate the room for new guests. Seeing him walking as though he were lighter, even with the added pack he now carried, made Moon smile.

Moon split off for an hour or so, overhearing gossip from several Pokemon in the area that resulted in her finding a thunder stone, a water stone, and a big pearl she tucked away alongside the star piece and stardust. She made a mental note to sell the last three items later to ensure the group had enough money for emergencies. She caught up with the others just as they reached the entrance to the Lush Jungle.

"I wonder what sort of Trial this one will be…" Lillie tilted her head, contemplative. "Well, only one way to find out!"

With that, she jogged ahead through the Trial entrance, and the rest of the group followed. Once through the large log tunnel, they found Mallow waiting for them.

The green-haired girl waved. "Hey guys! Thanks for stopping by! Welcome to Lush Jungle, the Trial grounds for me, Mallow."

Moon took one look at the girl's gleaming eyes and knew that despite how simple the Trial sounded, it would be anything but easy. Since she, Hau, and Lillie would all be taking part in the Trial simultaneously, she handed her egg to Gladion and took a slow breath.

_Showtime._

XxXxX

Moon gazed at her newly acquired Grassium-Z, rolling the sparkling crystal around her palm as she waited for the soup broth to finish. Not once had she attempted a Z-move, never having felt the need to use such a massive amount of power to win a battle. Of course, she _was_ fascinated by the technique, and had nothing against learning it, but she didn't want to simply cause destruction from a Z-move's power.

Professor Kukui had already explained that a Z-move was formed by combining both a Pokemon and its trainer's energy, and she wasn't sure how her powers would affect it. Litten had expressed wanting to try to perform Inferno Overdrive, but she was wary.

Abra suggested practicing in a large, open, abandoned space so they could get a feel for what exactly this power entailed. She agreed, pouring a bowlful of chopped veggies into the pot of broth. The only way to control such power would be to fully understand it through practice, and then adjust how they handled it, until they could master it.

Currently, the group was resting at the Pokemon Center, after having their teams checked and healed. They were sharing a room, the beds shoved together as Gladion no longer had any aversions to sleeping in a pile. It was Moon's turn to make dinner, so she was in the public kitchen while the others checked and restocked the group supplies.

Her egg was on the counter in an incubator, lent to her by Nurse Joy. The woman had offered it as soon as she saw the egg twitching in Moon's hold. According to Joy, it meant the egg was getting close to hatching, so an incubator would keep it healthy and warm until it did.

"I don't suppose you'd tell me ahead of time what you are?" Moon asked the egg jokingly, giggling when it jumped a little in response but offered no miraculous answer. "I thought so."

After the group had eaten and groomed their freshly-healed Pokemon, Moon excused herself to use one of the phone booths. Gyarados scooted after her, draping her growing body across her trainer's shoulders and coiling around her waist while she dialed the first number.

Tamah picked up on the third ring, greeting halted as she stared at the screen. It took her a long moment to gather herself, and her eyes remained wide as she spoke.

"By the Tapus, the boys weren't kidding when they mentioned your water type!"

Moon smirked. "She's gorgeous, isn't she?"

"She is," the woman agreed. "She looks strong and fierce, an excellent Gyarados." Tamah giggled as Gyarados preened, loving the praise. "How's your Island Challenge going?"

"We just cleared the Lush Jungle Trial, since we were training as a big group for a week. Lillie caught up to us, too, she's gotten really strong! I think we're going to check out Diglett's Tunnel before we head to Konikoni City, but we're making pretty good progress."

They chatted a few minutes more before Moon ended the call and dialed the number for Viridian Gym. Green's second answered, shocked to the point of releasing a short shriek by the Gyarados looming over Moon's shoulder. She grinned as he immediately forwarded the call, and burst out laughing when her big brother turned to the screen and promptly screamed.

He scowled at her, taking a moment to compose himself. "I see your shiny Magikarp evolved."

Still chuckling, she caught him up to speed with her journey, Red showing up halfway through. She hesitated to talk about Gladion, if only to spare the boy from her brothers' over-protectiveness, and instead mentioned her powers.

"Lillie did a little research, and said it sounded a lot like aura. Kadabra sensed it in her and Hau, too, though not as strong as mine. We've been working on figuring it out, meditating together seems to help a lot, as does physical training, so I think that theory might hold some weight."

Both older boys glanced at each other in surprise, before sharing a silent conversation and nodding. Green ran a hand through his hair, exhaling heavily.

"Well, I can see if I can find anything about aura users. I mean, they _have _existed, with all the records, but it seemed like they all died out… but if that is what your powers end up being, that would explain a lot. Just be careful, okay? Don't push yourself. Your friends, too."

"I know. I'll－" She was interrupted by Lillie's excited shout.

"Moon, your egg is hatching!"

Her head flew up, and she sprinted back to her group's table, not hindered by Gyarados' weight in the least due to her excitement. The other girl had already removed the lid from the incubator, moving out of the way so Moon could stand in front of it.

A bright light pulsed from the egg, getting brighter and brighter, until it flashed and faded. Blinking rapidly, Moon stared down at the small Pokemon as it yawned cutely. Eevee stared up at her with big eyes for a long moment, taking in the Gyarados hovering by the human girl's side, before cooing and scrambling out of the incubator's rounded bottom, trying to pull herself up Moon's shirt.

Moon didn't bother to hold back her squeal of delight as she scooped up the newborn Eevee, cuddling her close. Eevee squeaked in joy, purring up a storm as she rubbed her face against the human she saw as her mother.

"Aw, how cute!" Lillie gushed.

Hau nodded in agreement, beaming. "Man, this is great! Now there's three of us with Eevees! I bet Gladion's gonna find one soon too."

Gladion smiled slightly at that, but turned to his friend. "Congrats, Moon."

"Thanks, guys!" The white-haired girl smiled, rubbing her new Eevee's soft ears. "I should probably have Nurse Joy check her over really quick. And return the incubator… I'll be right back!"

The pink-haired woman was all too glad to give the friendly newborn a thorough health check, declaring Eevee fit as could be. Thanking her after returning the incubator, Moon pulled out a Pokeball and officially captured her newest Pokemon, calling her back out immediately. It was then that she realized that she'd never hung up on her brothers. With a yelp, she darted back over to the phone booth. Miraculously, Green hadn't hung up, apparently waiting for her to come back while Red lounged in the background on the Gym Leader's bed.

"I'm so sorry," she moaned, free hand over her face. "I got so excited and totally forgot about our call."

"I'll forgive you this once," he informed her, "because having an egg hatch is one of the coolest things. What Pokemon was it? C'mon, show us!"

With a bright grin, she held up Eevee, who raised a paw in greeting with a cheerful squeak. Green's face softened, a look usually reserved for his own Umbreon.

"Aw, look at that cute face! Lucky you!"

Red, having returned to the chair next to Green, smiled, for once not hiding behind his hat. Motioning with his hands, he congratulated her and complimented her Eevee.

"Thanks!" She cuddled Eevee close, the baby Pokemon chirping in delight at the attention. "Hau and Lillie both have Eevee too, so this was a cool surprise. I'll have to call the lady at Paniola Ranch to thank her again for giving me the egg. I'd talk with you guys more, but I want to introduce Eevee to the rest of my team, so I'll call you guys after the Grand Trial, okay?"

"Sure thing, sis," Green waved it off with a smile. "Go kick some Kahuna butt, we'll keep ourselves busy like always. Take care."

Red signed his farewell, crossing his arms over his chest with his hands in fists and then pointing at her through the screen.

"Love you too, bro. Both of you. Bye!" She hung up and returned to the table, patting Gyarados side as she sat down.

Calling her Pokemon over, she set Eevee down next to them. "Eevee, these are your new teammates. We're like a family, so don't hesitate to get to know them."

Litten, Kadabra and Growlithe stepped forward one at a time to greet their new friend, the fluffy brown Pokemon wagging her tail as they introduced themselves. When it was Gyarados' turn, Eevee bounded up her back to press her small nose to the shiny Pokemon's forehead, already smitten with her much larger teammate.

"It's got no sense of fear." Gladion noted, eyeing Eevee with amusement as his Salandit nodded in agreement from his lap. "Not sure if that's a good thing."

Moon shrugged. "I guess we'll see as she gets older."

XxXxX

The next day was spent in Diglett's Tunnel, ducking to avoid Zubats and stepping carefully to avoid Diglett holes. Moon found a fire stone, tossing it into the box of evolution stones she'd received from Green.

The group split in the main cave area to look around and battle a few of the workers who challenged them. Gladion and Lillie paired up, and Hau followed Moon with a bright grin. After hearing a commotion further inside the cave, she and the green-haired boy followed the noise.

"No, I'm not giving Libby to you!" A young trainer clutched a Pokeball to her chest, backing away from two Skull Grunts. The poor girl tripped over a loose rock, scrambling backwards with tearful eyes while the teenagers laughed.

"If you won't give it we'll just take it, yo!"

Moon shared a glance with Hau and placed herself squarely in front of the girl. "The hell you will," she snapped, motioning for Litten to ready himself.

She could hear Hau comforting the younger trainer, and distantly she wondered why the girl was alone in Diglett's Tunnel, but focused on the duo in front of her.

"Don't be mad you were the fool who was dumb enough to be here right now," the boy warned, his arms angled in an attempt to be menacing as he called out a Salandit. The girl grunt called out a Fomantis, and Hau's Eevee danced into place beside Litten.

"Roast the leaf," Moon instructed. She almost laughed at the confused expression the girl grunt had, obvious even beneath her mask.

Hau wasted no time in joining the battle. "Eevee, Quick Star!"

Litten leaped up and across to launch a Flamethrower at Fomantis, Eevee darting under while surrounding herself with sparkling stars. Her Quick Attack nailed Salandit a split second after the lizard was nailed by Swift. Moon held back a wince as both enemy Pokemon fainted immediately. _Poor things_… It wasn't their fault their trainers were such trash.

The thugs didn't waste any time in running away, and Moon turned back to the girl. "Are you alright?"

She nodded, her relief almost tangible. "Thank you so much, I thought they were going to steal my Pokemon for sure!"

After soothing her, they met up with Lillie and Gladion before escorting the girl through Route 9 back to her home in Konikoni City. Moon silently lamented the loss of their opportunity to explore, but held her tongue. They dropped the girl off quickly, waving farewell as they headed back towards the Pokemon Center they'd passed on the way into the city.

"Man, Team Skull's getting bolder by the day," Hau sighed, his Raichu nodding in agreement as he floated beside his trainer. "I mean, they clearly have their own Pokemon, so wouldn't it just be easier to catch some more by themselves than to go after other trainers' Pokemon?"

"My best guess is that they're going after already trained Pokemon, who would be stronger." Gladion murmured, keeping an eye out for eavesdroppers. "Since they can't seem to competently train their own."

Lillie frowned, eyes narrowing as she considered her brother's words. "But what for? Even Pokemon thieves know that a stolen Pokemon won't just obey them, especially those that have a strong bond with their real trainer. And Alola is cut off from the other regions so thoroughly that there's no way a small-time gang like them could be smuggling them to sell in other regions."

The blonde girl brought up an excellent point, but none of them had any explanations or answers. So they let the subject drop.

After getting their Pokemon checked over by Nurse Joy, Moon opted to finally pull out the TMs she'd bought back at Royal Avenue and teach Kadabra and Growlithe a new move each. That prompted Gladion to join her, being the one who had been holding onto the TM that Colress had given the group.

Kadabra, Growlithe, and Salandit lined up on the Pokemon Center's practice field, waiting patiently for their trainers to use the items. Moon was used to the odd devices, having watched her brothers use them several times. The concept of TMs was that they contained the essence of the move, and to use them the discs were inserted into the activation slot of the TM casing. The case itself had a setting for a Pokeball, which the trainer would recall the target Pokemon to and then snap into place. Once settled, the trainer flipped the switch on the side of the casing and the move's essence would be transferred to the Pokemon.

It would still take work to perfect most moves, but TMs were far more efficient than trying to teach a Pokemon a new move from scratch.

After she used them, she helped Gladion figure his out before she went to practice with her Pokemon, hiding a grin when he muttered, "Why can't they make these damn things more user friendly?"

"Alright… Kadabra, why don't you try stabilizing an Energy Ball for, say, ten seconds before releasing it. And Growlithe, use Aerial Ace repeatedly to get a feel for how it works and how to control it. Let me know if you have any problems." She stepped back to watch for a few minutes, nodding in satisfaction when she saw that both her Pokemon had learned their new moves pretty thoroughly.

She glanced over at Gladion, who was coaching his Salandit through using Flame Charge, instructing the lizard-like Pokemon to channel his inner flame across his body as he ran zigzags across the field. She could practically hear Salandit cackling to himself as he got the hang of it.

What interested her far more, however, was the subtle _flexing_ of a power she was very familiar with… but it came from Gladion. A quick glance to the back porch of the Pokemon Center, where Hau and Lillie had abruptly appeared as they searched for the source, confirmed she wasn't imagining things.

She waited until they'd wrapped up practicing their new moves before tugging on the blond boy's sleeve to go up to the room they'd all be staying in. Once they'd pushed the beds together, they all settled in a circle.

"Gladion, I want to try something with you while we all meditate."

He gave the three an odd look, but didn't protest, automatically reaching out to take Moon and Lillie's hands, Hau across from him. The connection flared, expanded, and enveloped Gladion almost immediately, and Moon couldn't hold back her elated smile.

The boy was confused for only a moment, as Lillie and Hau's aura shared what was going on, and Moon's reassured him. Gladion fit so naturally into their bond, he was _meant_ to be there, to be connected with them. He was nervous at the strange sensation, but didn't pull away.

There was a resonating sense of being complete, so overwhelmingly _whole_ that it took them a while to muster up the will to pull back and open their eyes. Gladion stared between the rest of them blankly, not knowing what to say.

"Well, I think this is wonderful!" Lillie finally broke the silence, beaming. "I had hoped, but wasn't sure, that you would have the same aura abilities we did, but I'm so happy!"

When Gladion just gaped, Moon grinned.

Seeing him so open and baffled was fun.

XxXxX

The Probopass' arrival was surprisingly silent for such a large Pokemon. Accepting the letter with only slight confusion, Moon glanced between her friends as they stood near the side of the store, but ultimately they decided to just look into it later. Lillie had found some accessories she'd wanted to buy for her Pokemon, and Moon was just about to sell some of the items she'd found to boost their group funds.

Gladion hovered by Moon's side while she sold her little collection of found valuables, huffing out a laugh as his sister fussed over her Vivio, trying to decide between a pastel pink or baby blue ribbon. Vivio attempted to chew on both of them, forcing Lillie to buy both because of the saliva now coating the ends.

"Oh these pearls are lovely!" The cashier exclaimed. "See that pink tint? That's really rare, we've been looking for some of these for ages! Here, we'll pay you extra for them, and your star piece－Micah, can you let Olivia know that we're buying love-tints off a trainer? She'll want to know so she can finish that one set she's been working on."


	4. Cycles - Ch 1

Arceus glanced down at the souls currently awaiting their decision, hovering in a white-blue mist above the tiles of the Hall of Origin. It wasn't often that a soul from the worlds outside their Realm of Creation passed over, though there had been some… exchanges… in the past. This one, though… They mentally nudged at it, getting another look at the soul's memories.

An average person, for the most part. She had loved her world's Pokemon games (ah, so she was from _that_ world), loved her cat, didn't really have many friends and was on good terms with her small family even if she wasn't all that close to them. The lack of attachments made things more clear－those souls tended to 'wander' if not given enough ties to keep them in or close to their world of origin. This little one had ended badly, though, poor thing.

A blaze that took out the entire apartment complex, her family with it, leaving her with full body burns and a massive hospital bill that would up going nowhere as the smoke inhalation ended up causing her death. She'd gone back into the burning building to try to save her cat… who's soul was currently latched onto the human's.

"_These two can stay,"_ he decided. _"I'll just place her… hm… oh, that could be interesting. With my Chosen as a cousin, and that Dragon-hearted champion as her father… perhaps that will teach that idiot to stop sleeping around without precautions. I get more prayers from women begging for him to come back to them than I do from Ash for help saving the world, for Origin's sake…_

"_Now then… I'll let you remember your past life, child. Just know that it isn't to hurt you, but to ensure your soul doesn't reject your new life out of confusion. That is not a pleasant way to go, let me tell you…"_

XxXxX

For as long as she could remember, Levy Fraye dreamed of fire. She dreamed of a death, slow and painful, of loss and fear. Sometimes she dreamed of more peaceful times, with her best friend and cat Pangur Ban. Except that was where things tended to really get driven home, because cats didn't exist anymore. No, instead of her life as Mara Oatsworth where the world had animals, she was living as Levy Fraye in a world that had Pokemon.

In some ways, remembering Mara made things worse－Mara had a mother who, while not the greatest at relationships, still cared and _tried_. Levy had a mother that was only interested in what her existence could do for her. It had something to do with whoever her father was; influential, at the very least, likely rich considering her mother's character. The woman was vain, beautiful in appearance but the worst kind of selfish, greedy, back-stabbing ugliness on the inside.

Since Levy apparently looked a lot like her father, her mother had been planning to use her to force her father to come back and marry her. It wasn't exactly an original plan, but her mother was… there weren't a lot of functioning brain cells, after all the partying with alcohol and drugs. Her mother's plans were shoddy at best and incomprehensible at worst.

Trapped in the apartment for pretty much her entire life, Levy just wanted _out_. Wanted to be away from the bruising grip that dragged her back to the hall closet and left her in there with a warning not to bother anyone or make noise. It wasn't like she was locked into the closet, but the consequences weren't worth it. Besides, it was better than being around whatever boy toy her mother had brought back with her.

Levy's mother hated Pokemon, thought they were ugly, stupid beasts and that having one was a sign of uselessness, an indicator that they wouldn't be successful. Something about that seemed ironic, considering the fact that Levy knew her father had been a trainer, and clearly still successful, going by her mother's desperation to sink her claws into him.

However, it meant that Levy was not allowed to have a Pokemon, which meant she was not allowed to have a friend. The closest thing she had was an old stuffed Eevee that somebody had gifted her at her mother's baby shower, and it was one of the only toys she had－not that she really needed them, remembering her past life as a teenager, but having literally nothing to do most days meant she often drowned in her thoughts.

Trying to mesh Mara and Levy into a functioning human was harder than it seemed; the frustration of having such a small body compared to what she was used to, the stark contrast between families and upbringing, sights and scents and sounds triggering all sorts of memories and flashbacks.

It was exhausting.

Even though she could remember what the bright golden light－Arceus, she had known it somehow without being told－had told her, that it let her remember for a reason, that it had allowed her to be reincarnated in its world, knowing that wasn't much comfort when she was so isolated. Honestly, she didn't even know how old she was, only that the top of her head didn't even reach the counters. And that was counting the spiky mass of red hair that gave her a couple extra inches! She missed being tall enough to actually reach things. Like the lock on the front door…

She missed Pangur, the kitten she had bottle raised and had become her constant companion.

She missed being treated like a human being, instead of a piece of furniture, or display piece only taken out of the cabinet when there was someone worth showing it off to present. It might have been one thing if her mother had forced her into some sort of performing thing and tried to live out her dreams through her daughter. But this? Levy didn't eat more than crackers most days because her mother kept forgetting that children needed to actually be fed.

Wishing that she could at least go outside－she knew the apartment complex had a public garden, from her mother complaining about how it attracted those 'awful Pokemon'－Levy couldn't really do much else but wish. At least until she was older, which… well. It seemed like a very long way away.

XxXxX

"_Are you kidding me… I put that inquiry right where he would see it, and it gets knocked aside for _budget _reports! That's it, even if she's not of my Own I'm going to fix that poor girl's fate thread… Who wove this, anyways?"_

XxXxX

It wasn't that she didn't think she'd never escape, but it _had_ started to seem more like a pipe dream than anything, after so long of just existing in silence. Levy still wasn't sure what, exactly, had tipped off the police about her mother's weird and not-really-child-appropriate tendencies (like offering her a sippy cup of vodka, was the woman trying to kill her?), but an officer and a case worker had come to get her out of there.

Absently thinking that maybe one of her mother's on-and-off boyfriends had caught sight of her going back into her closet and said something, she obediently followed the case worker to the woman's car, allowing her to buckle her in and make sure she was settled. It was kind of nice to have someone seeking to assist her, after so long of pretty much zero interaction.

"I'm going to take you to see a doctor for a checkup," the case worker chirped, starting the car and pulling out of the apartment complex's parking lot.

Levy just nodded, peering out the windows so she could see, for the first time, the new world she'd been born into. Eyes wide as she finally saw real, live Pokemon, Levy only paused long enough to meet the case worker's eyes in the rear view mirror and nod. Seeing that she was cooperating, the woman smiled. "And after we're done with that, I'll take you to get something to eat, okay? I know this place that does really tasty pancakes."

Letting the woman's chatter wash over her, Levy hummed several times to show she was still listening, taking in the city outside the car windows.

The checkup was a standard one as far as she could tell－they weighed her, got her height, checked her vitals, and took some blood to run tests on. It was actually somewhat overwhelming, after years of only interacting (if it could be called that) with her mother to suddenly be around so many people. Disoriented, Levy wound up latching her small－too small－fingers to the hem of case worker's blazer to ensure she didn't lose herself in comparing this life to her last life.

It happened, still, when she got surprised or thought about how different things were. Her mind would just… drift. Eating was more of running on autopilot, taking in her surroundings but it washed over her and away like rain on glass, with only a few bits and pieces of information sticking. Her eyes flickered this way and that, catching on seemingly random movements, flickering of color and sound.

By the time she came back to herself, she was sitting on a plush chair in a large common room, several other children of varying ages spread around it, and her case worker was gone. It took a long moment of wracking her brain to remember that the woman had brought her to this group home after feeding her, and that she'd been introduced to the matron, Miss Everdeen.

Levy quickly learned that, while an overall nice place, the group home had highly limited supervision; meaning, that as long as she was inside the building for breakfast and dinner, nobody cared what she got up to in between. There were just too few employees, nice as they were. In this case it worked in her favor, as she finally got to stretch her legs, and she began exploring the area around the group home.

The home itself functioned more like a set of dorms, with a small cafeteria and a few offices. Outside it had a small but tidy vegetable garden and a few trees, with the rest covered in grass, the whole thing set behind a five foot brick wall. The wall was old, and in the very back corner of the property a gap in the bricks opened up to a small alley that was small enough only a child to use.

Levy used that gap to leave the property every morning after breakfast, slowly building a map of the city. Her favorite places so far were a small forested area that merged with a park, about a fifteen minute walk away, and a library about thirty minutes away.

Having never been a very social person even in her last life, Levy preferred books and media to people, so being able to read as much as she wanted (luckily, the only thing it took to get a library card in this world was a name and an address) while sitting under the shade a nice tree was practically heaven. The fact that she could now study up on _real live Pokemon_ was a bonus, really.

Months after she'd been removed from her mother's custody, she sighed, closing her book－an in-depth care-guide to the majority of Pokemon found in the region of Kanto, where she was－and frowning. She was still so used to having Pangur Ban curled up to her, purring while she read, that sometimes she could still feel… him…

Glancing down, she blinked slowly at the Meowth currently snuggled up to her.

A sharp ache bloomed in her chest even as she hesitantly reached to pet the feline, eyes watering when it nudged her hand, the purring getting louder. The Meowth twisted towards her, exposing its belly and face, and Levy froze.

Familiar yellow-gold and blue-green eyes looked back at her, as the Meowth with her beloved cat's heterochromic eyes chuffed, lifting its chin and kneading its front paws into her thigh.

"Pangur?" She whispered. "Is that you?"

The Meowth－_Pangur Ban__－_nodded, its－his－purring getting even louder. Clawing his way into her lap while kicking the book away, he nuzzled her collar bone, the familiar action making the girl's tears spill over her cheeks. A rough tongue licked them away comfortingly, and Levy shook with the force of repressing her sobs.

She wasn't alone. Her best friend, the one she'd died trying to save, was here, had followed her all the way to a new world.

"I missed you," she hiccuped, hiding her face in his soft fur. While it was no longer white, it was just as soft and silky as ever, a grounding force to her near-constant haze of existence. She managed to spare the focus to send a silent prayer of thanks to Arceus, vaguely remembering the echoing voice saying 'these _two_ can stay' from that time Between.

"Mrr," Pangur Ban replied, eyes bright with an intelligence he simply hadn't had before.

That very same intelligence made it easy to keep her friend a secret from the matron, who, while not minding when the children found Pokemon to play with, simply could not afford to let them have their own. And if _one_ ward got one, even simply befriending a wild one, the others would want one, it just wasn't fair otherwise. Not wanting to make things harder for the overworked woman, Levy just hid him, sneaking out whatever scraps she could manage to ensure Pangur Ban was able to eat enough.

He clearly knew his way around the city, though, and got food easily enough－everything pointed to him being fairly healthy. Pangur Ban became her constant companion wherever she went, going so far as to break into the attic of the group home to set up a nest there. In the library he was allowed, just like any other trained Pokemon, so long as he didn't cause any trouble.

Seeing as he was still lazy as hell, that wasn't an issue. His presence also did away with some of the looks she'd been getting, the adults figuring that the Pokemon was a family one and was clearly looking after her so she was fine to wander all by herself. The Pokemon world was a little weird that way, a dual mind set as to what ages were acceptable to be considered independent. And it largely relied on whether or not the kid in question had a Pokemon present.

Having Pangur Ban back did wonders for Levy's mental health, no longer losing herself for days at a time, because her best friend, her _partner_, now, was right beside her always. It didn't matter that he'd changed shape, or made different noises now－she knew Pangur Ban better than she knew herself, he had claimed her heart the first time she saw his as a kitten, dirty and crying out hungrily. She'd bottle raised him, and had never been away from him longer than the time she spent at school each day. That cat had been her anchor, her friend, always there for her when no one else had the time or desire to.

Having him back was being complete, regaining the part of her that had been missing since her first death.

XxXxX

Ash tugged the brim of his hat down, shading his eyes from the harsh sunlight. He had tagged along with his mother to Viridian City to help her get some shopping done－and boy did he regret making that offer－and the sun was hot and bright today. Maybe it was the boredom that came between regions, he hadn't quite decided where to go next yet, that made him temporarily lose his mind and offer to help Delia shop.

"I've made a terrible mistake, Pikachu," he muttered to his partner, trailing after Delia, weighed down with a bundle of bags on each arm as they headed back to Professor Oak's care. The man had offered to drive them, having some errands to run in the city anyways. However this was the second trip back to the car and Ash was rapidly running out of willpower to continue.

Luckily for the young trainer, after getting the bags put away Delia decided they needed a break, and stopped at a small park with some benches in the shade of some large trees.

"Oh this is lovely! I haven't been to this park before," she exclaimed, setting her shoulder bag down next to her.

Ash had to admit, it was a pretty place. There were patches of flowers scattered all across, and there was even a small pond where a little boy was playing with what looked like his older brother's Politoed, and a few wild Pidgey nested in the trees of the woods nearby. Pikachu hopped down to sniff at some sunflowers, and the trainer sat down next to his mother.

Smiling fondly as his partner explored the area around them, Ash closed his eyes for just a moment, enjoying the breeze.

"Pika!"

"Oh! Hi there," a girl's voice, surprised at first and then easing into the next words. "I've never seen a Pikachu in real life before."

Leaning around the tree behind them, Ash caught a glimpse of vibrant red hair just before the little girl stepped out from behind the tree. The sight of her made him do a double take, because she looked almost exactly like his Uncle Lance, to the point where he thought back on his mother's… less than pleased comments on her brother's habit of 'sleeping around'.

In the girl's arms was a rather unique Meowth, due to having two differently colored irises. It looked pretty cool, actually, and was distinctive enough that the Pokemon didn't activate Ash's long-engrained fight instinct, thanks to Team Rocket's Meowth.

The girl's Meowth waved at Pikachu, causing his starter to blink before relaxing, waving back with a happy greeting. Kneeling, the girl offered her hand palm up for Pikachu to sniff, waiting until the Electric type had nudged her hand first before petting him.

She smiled shyly. "You're pretty friendly, aren't you? Do you have a trainer? Are they around here somewhere?" She mumbled the last phrases, probably to herself, but Ash could hear it well enough.

"Yeah, that's me," he chirped, grinning when her head jerked up in surprise. Getting a good look at her face was even more surreal, as the resemblance to his uncle got even more obvious. She had the same hazel eyes, nose, and eyebrows of his uncle, and only her facial shape was softened a bit, making it obvious she was a girl. She looked a little bit like his mother too, now that he was looking for the resemblance. "I'm Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Town. Pikachu's my partner."

"... Levy Fraye," she returned after regaining her composure, offering him a shy smile. "This is my friend, Pangur Ban."

She probably hadn't caught the Meowth yet, then, which made sense since she was tiny and was probably only six or seven.

"Did you say your last name was Fraye－" Delia's voice cut off as she too got a good look at the little girl, brown eyes wide. There was a moment of silence as the children took in the rapidly changing expressions on the woman's face, until she finally declared, "I'm going to _neuter_ my brother."

Cringing in sympathy for the upcoming fate of his uncle, Ash glanced back over to Levy, who was looking more than a little uneasy. Delia noticed and immediately backed off the waves of killing intent she'd been throwing around.

"Oh, I'm sorry sweetheart, I just am very angry with my brother at the moment, I'm not upset with you at all! It… just so happens that my brother dated a woman with the last name of Fraye some years back. Was your mother's name Camilla, by any chance?"

"Um… I don't know," Levy admitted awkwardly. "I never really knew her actual name, and I don't live with her anymore."

Picking up on the way Delia was rapidly going into Mother Ursaring mode, Ash couldn't help but wonder if this girl actually was Lance's kid. That would mean he actually had a cousin! His dad didn't have any siblings so he didn't have any cousins from that side, despite their jokes to the contrary with Alain and Diantha.

"That should be easy enough to find out," Delia decided. "Who do you live with now? I'd just like to ask them a couple questions," she explained to the girl.

"Oh, I live at a group home. I guess you can ask the matron, she might be able to answer your questions," Levy offered hesitantly, getting to her feet and clinging a little tighter to her Meowth. Pangur Ban nuzzled her face, a comforting gesture Ash recognized because Pikachu did the same thing whenever he fell into bad memories.

"That would be perfect, sweetheart, thank you," Delia said, a little too eager for what Levy probably saw as a stranger, but Ash was already beginning to understand his mother's desire to make sure if their hunch was correct. He wouldn't want a cousin of his to have gone through anything terrible, and from the way Levy reacted with wariness when Delia went to pat her head said a lot.

Still, Levy led them a few blocks away at a brisk walk, so Ash tried to keep the mood light.

"I've never seen a Meowth with two different colored eyes," he commented, peering at the Pokemon curiously. He'd seen shiny Pokemon, but this was new to him.

"Pangur's just special that way," Levy said with another shy smile. "I never really thought about it much, other than how pretty they look."

Pangur Ban purred loudly at the compliment.

"They do look cool," he agreed. "I have a shiny Noctowl but I think Pangur Ban's eyes are more unique than shiny coloring."

He knew he'd said the right thing when the little girl beamed at him, slowly coming out of her shell. She began peppering him with questions about Pikachu, and what it was like to be a trainer, and what other Pokemon he had. All of which he was more than happy to answer, he could go on about his Pokemon and the adventures he'd shared with them for hours.

Levy was so enraptured by his stories that she hadn't even realized when they'd entered the group home, nor when other kids that lived there gathered round. Ash didn't mind the small crowd, part of him feeling for these kids who hadn't yet－and might never get－the chance to get out and travel a bunch of regions. It was easier for him because his dad could afford to buy him plane tickets, but most unless they had parents that could pay for it trainers stuck to their home regions unless they were highly successful and able to pay their way to another region.

So he tried to share with them what he thought was most important as a trainer, believing in your Pokemon, doing all you could to help them when they struggled with something. It was how half his Pokemon had become strong, because he refused to give up on any of them－he'd had his moments, of course, and he shared with the kids how he and Pikachu first met and what it took for them to start getting along, as well as what it took for Charizard to start trusting him and listening to him again.

A nice side effect of the story telling was that nobody commented on Pangur Ban, who Ash had realized was probably a secret Levy had been keeping due to her not being able to properly catch it. The rest of the kids probably assumed that the Meowth belonged to _him._

By the time his mother and the matron came back into the common room, the kids were all asking questions about his travels, and what it took to get a trainer license. In all honesty, it didn't take much; you could get a copy of the license exam at any local library for free, take it there while under the supervision of one of the staff, and they'd mail it to the board for the taker for free. The results would come back a couple weeks to a month later, and if you passed you got your ID and license card along with a slip of paper you could give to your local Gym or Pokemon Center to help arrange a starter (or, if you knew where to send it, to your regional Professor).

He also recommended several books they should check the library for that, over the course of his travels, his friends had all sworn by, when if came to preparing to become a trainer. Most of them had actually been held high by Max, but the kid was a smart one and Ash trusted him.

"That sounds wonderful," the matron said in the lull after Ash had written down the titles of the books. "Everybody, let's thank Ash here for sharing all this with you!"

The kids promptly swarmed him, and, laughing it off, Ash carefully extracted himself before they could rope him into another story telling session. Delia was looking like she was about to bring the wrath of Arceus down on somebody and he didn't know if he should attempt damage control yet.

"Levy, if you'd follow us," the matron called, leading the three of them to a small office. Once settled, the woman sent an amused glance towards Pangur Ban but said nothing on that subject. "Levy, it turns out that Delia here is your aunt－your father is her brother. We were able to get it confirmed thanks to your birth certificate rather quickly, but have not yet been able to get in contact with your father. However, Delia has offered to take you home with them in the meantime. What do you think about that?"

Bubbling happiness welled up in Ash's chest, realizing that yes, he did have a cousin! And he already liked her a lot, she was a good kid and, like him, cared a lot about Pokemon.

As for Levy, she just looked stunned, mouth open but no words coming out as she processed the news. At length, Pangur Ban gently batted her nose, startling her out of the daze. Blinking rapidly, Levy swallowed and nodded, casting hopeful looks at both Delia and Ash out of the corner of her eyes.

"I－yes, I'd－I'd like that a lot." She ducked her head, hiding her face in her Meowth's fur.

"Wonderful!" Delia exclaimed joyfully, clapping her hands together. "I'm so happy we found you, I'm sure you'll love Pallet Town. And your Meowth will fit right in, Ash has a lot of Pokemon at Professor Oak's ranch, and my Mimey will no doubt be happy to have more people in the house!"

Watching his cousin relax at the confirmation that Pangur Ban could come with her, Ash leaned in and gently bumped her shoulder.

"I can introduce you to everybody, and if you like books the professor has a huge collection he'll let you read."

Levy's entire face _lit up_, and he chuckled, feeling the happy warmth in his chest spread. Good thing he came along on this trip.

XxXxX

Delia hummed to herself as she put the new sheets and comforter on the bed in what used to be the guest room, but would now be little Levy's room for the foreseeable future. At the moment her adorable niece was downstairs with Ash and Tracy, being introduced to some of the less rambunctious of her son's Pokemon, and eating some snacks she had set out.

While she was utterly livid at her brother's carelessness, Delia was more than happy to provide for her niece. The poor darling was far too tiny, despite being out of her egg donor's care (and Delia would never consider Camilla the girl's mother, not after that witch had treated Levy like a tool to try to trap her brother in a relationship, no matter how badly that had failed－Lance still didn't even know of Levy's existence) for almost a year. The girl was eight years old and did not look it one bit.

Delia would be giving Lance a right earful when she finally got a hold of him. She'd already left Augustine a message, her husband rarely being able to answer her calls so the game of phone tag was a common one. All that was left to do was get some more clothes for Levy, and some books and toys. They'd gotten some while they were in Viridian, but Levy had been easily tired out so Delia would likely end up making the rest of the girl's wardrobe.

Mimey finished vacuuming and helped her get all the pillows into the cases and settled on the bed, and Delia stood back to examine their handiwork. The new, pastel green curtains brightened the soft cream of the walls and honey colored wood of the floor, and when combined with the pale aqua, green, and yellow bedspread gave the room a calm, relaxing feel.

She'd brought in a lamp they'd had in storage, with an aqua lampshade Delia had gotten ages ago but replaced with the red ones downstairs, and she'd already put away what clothes they'd gotten for Levy in the closet and dresser. They could probably get a beanbag or two, to put by the for now empty bookcase and a nice rug to finish up, but that would have to wait for another day. For now this would do nicely.

Leaving the room, Delia went downstairs to check on the kids. Levy was currently petting Ash's Quilava, who was chattering to Pangur Ban (what a lovely name, she'd have to ask how Levy came up with it) as she enjoyed the attention. Tracy was going through a stack of books he'd brought over, pointing out something to Levy every now and then, while Ash and Pikachu told Levy how they'd met the Fire type.

She ducked out for just a minute to plate more sandwiches, and smiled as she brought the tray into the living room. Watching to make sure Levy was eating－she needed to eat more, she was far too skinny!－Delia sat down on the couch next to where her niece was sitting on the rug with the Pokemon. Absently combing her fingers through Levy's long red locks, she reveled in the warmth and laughter echoing throughout the house.

It was good for the family to be home… and hopefully Augustine would be able to come a little early for his yearly summer visit. She knew he was busy, and with work that truly he was the only one qualified to complete, but she missed her husband.

XxXxX

Levy growled sleepily as her pillow shifted, lightly thumping his shoulder with her hand. Ash's chest shook with wheezing laughter even as he continued to move, making it impossible for her to go back to sleep. While she was still absorbing the fact that _Ash Ketchum_ was her cousin, she had gotten comfortable with him so quickly that sometimes he felt more like a brother. It was still weird to have him, of all people, doting on her, but she figured it was just the unfortunate side effect of her height.

She was _tiny_ and she hated it.

Oh, sure, she accepted that it made her look adorable, but she was already eight again. She'd barely grown since she was five, apparently! Still too short to reach the counters!

She had to have Pangur jump up and hand her things. It was humiliating. She wasn't even four feet tall, whereas Ash, who was thirteen, was five foot. He was over a foot taller, and it rankled her that he had no problems with picking her up so she could reach the sink, or a shelf, or the cupboards.

At the moment, her height was a major disadvantage as Ash easily scooped her up so he could get off the couch where they'd been napping, and was able to perch her on his hip like she was a toddler.

"I will have my revenge," she mumbled into his shoulder.

"You do that," he replied indulgently, patting her back as he walked over to the front door. Holding her in place with one hand, Ash opened the door and greeted Professor Oak, inviting the man inside. Ignoring the small talk, Levy grumpily shoved her face into the junction of her cousin's neck and shoulder.

Only part of the conversation registered, but she was able to learn that the professor was inviting Ash, Delia, and herself to come along to Unova in a few months while he was in the region to speak at a convention.

_So we're to Black and White,_ she thought sleepily. Her memory of her world's Pokemon anime wasn't the best, but she had a vague timeline worked out, helped in part by all of her cousin's stories. While he wasn't great with the details, he had a sort of energy when he recounted the things he'd experienced, and if you knew how to ask the right questions it was easy enough to get the information you wanted from him.

From what she'd learned about her extended family, Ash's dad would have already come and gone from his yearly visit by then. It still blew her mind that Augustine Sycamore, the Kalos regional professor, was her cousin's dad, and her uncle. Well, so did the fact that her own dad was apparently the Champion, Lance of Indigo, but he'd been out of contact for some sort of long-term mission with his G-Men group. He still didn't know about her, and she still didn't know how to feel about him.

Yawning, she tuned out the voices and went back to sleep, absently wondering where Pangur had gotten to. Probably in the kitchen begging Auntie Delia for bits of whatever she was making.

XxXxX

Samuel Oak chuckled at the grumpy expression of little Levy, mentally apologizing for his visit having interrupted her nap. But he really did need to inform Ash of the invitation to Unova, else-wise he'd forget till the last minute. The aged professor knew himself well enough that once he'd dived into his most recent project, he wouldn't resurface until it was time to pack.

Ash didn't seemed bothered one bit, instead carrying his cousin around with ease. It was quite adorable, really, and having a younger cousin to look after had done wonders for Ash's own maturity. He'd always be the enthusiastic young boy who loved Pokemon and dreamed grandly of being a Pokemon Master, but being put in the position of older cousin had curbed how easily he was to rile up, made him more likely to think of the consequences instead of immediately jumping in.

Privately, Samuel thought it was just something about Levy specifically, perhaps how ridiculously tiny she was, that brought out protective instincts. Even Tracy was coming by the Ketchum-Sycamore residence more often just to fuss over the eight year old, and that wasn't even starting on the parade of Pokemon going to and from the cottage and the ranch, all intent on meeting and playing with their trainer's baby cousin.

Even Samuel himself found himself melting a bit when she turned those Deerling-eyes his way, every time she came over to ask to sit and read in his library.

His sympathy for Lance, when the man discovered his daughter, was countered by his own irritation with the champion for never bothering to check to see if he'd left any children behind his various exploits. It was just as well the man had a secret weakness for cute things－his daughter was going to have him wrapped around her little fingers within hours, if not minutes.

_Serves him right_, Samuel thought, bidding the children a good day as he left.

XxXxX

Ash knew, distantly, that he adored his baby cousin more than most cousins would. But she was just so cute! And tiny! And made such hilarious little pouts and glowers when he teased her! Honestly the only reason he hadn't gone calling all his friends to crow about how great Levy was, was the fact that he still didn't want to share her. Tracy was bad enough, and he _liked_ Tracy because the other teen never tried to overstep his bounds.

Misty and Dawn, though? Oh he'd never see his cousin again after they stole her away. Possibly May, too, and then the Coordinators would try indoctrinating her to Contests and it would be all downhill from there.

Brock… _maybe_, because his friend had all those younger siblings so he'd know _exactly_ what Ash was feeling right now. Actually, telling Brock sounded like a great idea, because Levy's birthday was coming up and he had no idea what to get an eight year old girl that already had a Pokemon.

Decided on his course of action, he had Pikachu stay with Levy to keep an eye on her and went for the phone, the number of the teen he called brother dialed from memory.

"_Ash!"_ Brock exclaimed when he picked up the video call, looking pleasantly surprised on the screen. _"It's good to hear from you!"_

"Hey Brock," the young trainer grinned. Even though it hadn't been that long since he'd seen the older teen, he had still missed his steady presence. "I know it's not what you're probably expecting, but I need some advice. See, recently I found out I have a baby cousin, and she's great, she's adorable and she's actually living with us right now, but she's eight and her birthday's coming up, and I have no idea what to give her. I know you have sisters, so I was hoping you'd give me some ideas?"

Brock's eyebrows rose, a wealth of questions clear in his expression but he didn't ask them yet. _"She must be something special if she's making you gush over her like that."_

"She's just－she so _tiny_," Ash moaned helplessly. "Arceus, Brock, it's like looking at a little Meowth kit, and what makes it worse is that she _has_ a Meowth and he's almost bigger than she is now! She's literally the personification of the phrase Deerling-eyes."

His friend's shoulders started to shake, one hand coming up to muffle his laughter. _"Oh man, Ash. You've done it. You've achieved peak big brother Feels. I can't believe it, this is fantastic."_

"Don't tease," Ash begged. "I just really want to get her a good gift, she didn't have the best home situation before we found her. Apparently her mother was a total whack job and treated her like a display piece when she bothered to acknowledge her existence at all. That woman tried to give her a sippy cup of vodka once."

And that had been horrifying to learn about, right next to the fact that Levy had lived off crackers and water for literal weeks.

"_Oof. Yeah, that's… no."_ Brock winced. _"Well, what is your cousin like? What does she like to do?"_

"She likes to read a lot, and she likes Pokemon as much as I do. I just don't know anything about books, really."

Brock snorted at the pained admission. _"Oh man… well, I know Yolanda likes this one fantasy series, Isle of Steel. It's pretty new, but I think the first four books are out already. She said it wasn't a 'kiddie' series, but it wasn't 'boring like a grown up books' either. You could try that and maybe some Poke Dolls?"_

Nodding thoughtfully as he wrote down the series, Ash's brow furrowed.

"Thanks, I'll have to go look for those next time I'm near a book store. Um… well she likes hearing about Charizard, I could get her a plush of one… Maybe some of those notebooks like Max had, the ones with the holographic covers he used to write all his strategies down in?"

"_Good idea, my sisters must have dozens by now,"_ Brock said approvingly. _"If you're going to get inspiration from our traveling companions, you should think about the things you've seen the girls use a lot. I'm sure you remember the Princess Festival with Misty."_

Ash shuddered. "I'd honestly tried to forget that."

"_Don't let her hear you say that,"_ Brock warned with a smile. _"But that should be a good start. I gotta say, Ash, you've grown up a lot since we first met. And I hope you'll introduce me to your cousin, soon, she sounds like a good kid."_

"I will. Just… don't tell the others yet. I don't want to share Levy," he scowled, "and the girls would run off with her, I just know it."

Brock had to turn away to muffle his laughter. _"Oh man… it was good to hear from you, Ash. Remember you can call me whenever!"_

"I know," Ash assured him, a little confused as to what was so funny. "Thanks for the help. I'll call with Levy some other time."

After ending the call, Ash stuffed the paper with the book series on it into his vest pocket, returning upstairs to where he'd left his cousin. She was sprawled out on his bed, flipping through one of his old trainer magazines, with both Pangur Ban and Pikachu perched on her back.

Ash hadn't been kidding when he said the Meowth was almost bigger than she was－the lazy thing had seemed to inhale whatever food he could and just kept growing. That wasn't to say he was fat, far from it, he was just _massive_. Professor Oak had a theory that the Meowth had the King's Gene, a rare mutation that just made Pokemon bigger, but it was clear that when he evolved, Pangur Ban was going to be monstrously large. Probably big enough for his tiny cousin to ride for years, considering the slow rate that _she_ was growing at.

As it was, Pangur Ban's front paws took up most of the space on Levy's back.

"Hey Levy," he said, getting her attention from the doorway. "Wanna go over to the ranch? I could convince Pidgeot to take you flying," he cajoled. His cousin needed to get more sunshine, she was too pale still. Content as she was to scamper around the house and the professor's lab, reading whatever she could get her little hands on, spending hours indoors wasn't all that healthy.

As for Pidgeot, after telling his cousin about his first Flying type, she had given him a scathing look and demanded to know why he hadn't gone back for her yet. Properly scolded, he'd slunk out for an afternoon to do just that. After a tearful reunion and many apologies, Pidgeot had agreed to come back with him, and Ash had kicked himself after seeing how happy his Pokemon that had known her were to see her.

The thought of another flight on Pidgeot had Levy perking up. Not much else could get her to go outside willingly for anything other than walking to the lab, really.

"Can we go to Mulberry City?" She asked.

Ash thought about it. If they both rode Pidgeot－who was, now that he really thought about it, also freaking massive－it still wouldn't take her long to fly there, probably about an hour or so. Plus… he pulled out his phone, opening up his browser and typing away.

"Y'know, there's a Contest going on there today. If we leave soon we should be able to watch," he offered. He knew she wanted to go there because Delia had mentioned Mulberry City had one of the biggest libraries in Kanto, but it wouldn't hurt to get her started with watching big events. She'd probably never seen one before, either in person or on TV. "We can drop by that library after, maybe get something to eat before coming home."

Levy beamed, squirming to escape from the Pokemon. "Let's go!"

It had become their thing, for Ash to take her places after getting Pidgeot back. Travel was easy, as Delia had managed to get Pangur Ban registered as Levy's Pokemon, provided there was an adult or trainer around when she took him places. She wasn't allowed to battle, of course, but having the Pokeball made it so the big Meowth could come with wherever they went.

She returned her partner and hurried to her room to change into something more suited for travel, and Ash laughed softly to himself. Maybe he was spoiling her, but it was nice to be able to make her smile.

XxXxX

Augustine Sycamore was a dedicated researcher, and a dedicated father. Even though his work kept him away from home most of the year, he still did everything he could to support his wife and son, to make sure they knew that he was always thinking about them. That was why he was always looking forwards to the few months out of the year he could go back to Kanto and spend time with them.

This summer would be a little different, considering that a niece had popped out of the woodwork. When he'd first gotten Delia's message, his first thought had been_, Lance, you idiot, it's finally happened_, and his second was, _A niece!_ Because he had wanted to give Ash siblings, but they'd never gotten lucky enough to have another child. A cousin wasn't the same, but she was still family, and from what Delia said the two got along like a house on fire.

She had actually emailed him dozens pictures over the last few months of the two of them, and that massive Meowth that just accentuated how _tiny_ Levy was. And his wife had, of course, been correct in that their niece was adorable.

According to Professor Oak, Ash had been 'sneaking' Levy out of Pallet Town every few days, using his Pidgeot to fly them to different cities to explore, see movies or shows, and other such events. Ash apparently hadn't caught on that everyone knew what he was doing. If he weren't so proud of his son for being a good cousin, Augustine would teased Ash for his obliviousness. But it was too cute to risk making him self conscious about it.

Speaking of those little excursions, the older professor was currently assuring him through text that the kids were off on another one, so he'd be able to surprise them when they got back. It had been a long flight back to Kanto, and the taxi was making its way from the Viridian City airport to Pallet Town. By the time it pulled up to the house, Augustine was more than ready to see his wife again. Paying the driver quickly and grabbing his bags, he entered the house quietly.

Seeing Mimey standing near the kitchen, he motioned for the Pokemon to be quiet, grinning at the little excited nod his wife's partner gave him, tiptoeing up the stairs to put his things away before come back down. He could hear Delia humming as she was baking. A quick glance around the doorway showed that she wasn't paying attention, so, with a mischievous grin, he came up behind her.

"Gingerbread in summer?" He asked dubiously, laughing brightly when Delia yelped, twirling so she could swat him for scaring her. "Hello, darling."

"August!" She threw her arms around his neck, and he held her close. "You're home early, you should have said something sooner!"

"Can I not surprise my wife?"

"Surprise, more like scare the living daylights out of me," she huffed, but it melted away into a soft smile. "I missed you."

"And I you, love," he sighed, giving her a light squeeze and a kiss. The ever-present longing faded into contentment, and he shifted so he could keep an arm around her waist as she turned back to the cookie dough. "But really, though, it's too hot for gingerbread cookies."

"They're one of Levy's favorites, and Ash has finally come around to them," Delia informed him lightly. "Well, that, and Pangur Ban will eat them even after they've gone hard, so we've been using them as bribes more often than not."

"I still can't believe how big that Meowth is," Augustine shook his head. "Have you heard from Lance yet?"

"No, so I've been preparing to rip him a new one when he finally resurfaces. I swear, that idiot…"

Wisely choosing not to comment, the professor snuck a bit of dough from the bowl. One did not get in the path of an angry Delia if they wanted to live. Instead he asked about her year, if there was anything that needed doing he could help with while he was here, enjoying the light, melodic tones of his wife's voice. It was far better than simply hearing it over messages and phone calls.

By the time the kids came back, Augustine had managed to tease his wife into chasing him around the house while she brandished a broom, which, of course, was what they walked in on.

Ash sort of froze, a look of resigned exasperation on his face while he watched, and little Levy peered around his back, eyes trailing from Delia's blush to Augustine's delighted grin. She looked up at her cousin.

"Are they always like this?" She asked solemnly.

Ash developed a pained look. "Enough for it to be normal. Hey, Dad."

"Hello, Ash," the Kalosian strode over while Delia was distracted, embracing his son tightly. "Look at you, you've gotten even taller. I've missed you so much."

The boy hugged back, squeezing slightly. "Missed you too."

"And this must be Levy. I've heard so much about you! Don't worry, though, it was all good things," Augustine joked.

Levy put on a comically affronted expression. "I should hope so!"

In that moment she looked so much like a miniature version of her father whenever somebody attempted to challenge him with a Fairy type that the man almost choked, instead pressing his lips together in a failed attempt to hide his grin. Yes, there was no doubt that Levy was Lance's daughter.

"Anybody who says otherwise is lying," Ash declared, sweeping her up and letting Pangur Ban to slink by, Pikachu perched on his back. The Meowth was more than two feet tall when on all fours, longer than that by more than half again, and had paws almost the size of dinner plates.

"By Xerneas," he swore, amazed.

"Right?" Ash cried, motioning wildly with his free arm. "This is getting ridiculous, I mean he just keeps getting bigger!"

"He's stealing my growth," Levy grumbled.

"That has to be it," Augustine agreed as they all migrated towards the kitchen, Delia stealing their niece away the moment she was in view. Under his breath, he continued talking to his son, marveling at how much the boy had grown since he'd seen him last, skillfully ignoring the ache in his chest at the thought. "Your mother said she was tiny, but I did not expect Levy to be _this_ small."

"It just makes her cuter," Ash said miserably. "I freaking _can't_, she's like a little Meowth kitten. If you ever tell her no you feel like a monster."

Smirking, the professor ruffled his son's hair. Sounded like Ash was easily swayed by little Deerling-eyes.

Twenty minutes later Augustine silently swore in the safety of his own mind, because those eyes were weapon-grade emotional manipulation. And Ash had been right, even _thinking _about telling Levy no made him feel like the worst sort of scum of the earth.

XxXxX

Levy peered out one of the large windows of the Unovan airport they'd landed in, one hand held firmly in her aunt's while they waited for Professor Oak and Ash to come back with the rental car. It was nearing the middle of spring, and Uncle Augustine had already flown back to Kalos after spending almost two months in Pallet Town.

She rather liked her uncle, the man brilliant but not so caught up in it that he couldn't be fun. He was also a giant. Between him, Delia, and Ash, her feet had barely touched the floor the entire time the Ketchum-Sycamore (Ash, apparently, hadn't realized that he could use both names on his trainer ID, thus only going by Ketchum this whole time) family had been together.

Augustine was also just very warm, so she hadn't minded being toted around that much; it meant that she could nap as much as she wanted, _wherever_ she wanted. Her family was just so comfortable. They were all built to be perfect for hugging.

Thinking back on it, Levy was a little surprised at how close she'd become with them. Family or no, she'd only been with them for six months or so, and already she found herself hoping that she'd get to stay with Auntie Delia instead of meeting her father－Lance Blackthorn. Tightening her grip on Delia's hand, she shook off the thought. There was no point in thinking about it right now.

The drive to Professor Juniper's lab was long, meaning that she and Ash got to throw themselves from one end of the car's backseat to the other in order to see as many of the native Pokemon as possible. Ash and Pikachu hadn't encountered Zekrom, as they'd been with her the whole time, and Levy couldn't bring herself to feel guilty over that change. If Ash lost to Trip in this timeline she would riot.

"Whoa, check out that one," Ash exclaimed, pointing out a Deerling that rapidly darted away into the woods on the left side of the road. "_Nice speed_, I wonder if all Deerling are that fast!"

Smiling at his enthusiasm, and a little amazed he remembered the Unovan Pokemon's name from the books she'd commandeered his lap a number of times to read, Levy shrugged.

"Maybe if you catch one you'll find out," she said with a hint of longing. She kind of hoped he did, Deerling were _cute_, and Sawsbuck were still such pretty Pokemon. Not noticing the way Ash's eyes gleamed, having caught on to her thoughts, she pulled herself up to better see out the window, one hand on her cousin's shoulder for support even as he wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Careful," he still warned, despite the fact that he had a firm grip on her.

Sticking her tongue out at him absently, she kept looking for more Pokemon. Ash was actually better at it, his own journeys having taught him the best places to find wild Pokemon, and he had sharp eyes to begin with, easily pointing out plenty of others. Mostly there were flocks of Pidove and such, but still. It was new and exciting! If only Pangur wasn't too big to fit securely in the car with both them and Pikachu there as well…

"Look, the lab is just up there!" Delia's voice distracted the cousins from their Pokemon watching, following the line of the woman's hand to see the building built into the top of a hill.

Eyeing the lab, Levy sprawled in her cousin's lap, waiting until Professor Oak had stopped the car right up next to the walkway. Scrambling out the door, she took a few steps around to stretch her legs. Pikachu followed suit, eventually climbing up to cling like a furry backpack using her shoulders for his paws to grip, as hers were wide enough to sit on like he did with Ash.

"Pika," he chirped, making her grin. Pikachu was a funny little thing, and a lot like Ash in that he was always eager to go off and _do_ stuff, exploring and finding new things.

"Auntie, can I have Pangur out?"

"Of course, honey, just remind him to be on his best behavior while we're at the lab," Delia agreed with a smile. The woman always got into a good mood whenever Levy called her 'Auntie'.

Releasing her partner, Levy giggled as the massive Meowth immediately set to attempting to groom her already wild crimson hair, sparing a lick or two for Pikachu. Pangur Ban's rumbling purr could probably be heard yards away.

Ash scratched the large feline behind his ears, rescuing his partner from the impromptu bath, leaving Levy to her fate until Pangur Ban was satisfied with the wild cowlicks he'd left in her hair. She scrunched up her nose and made a halfhearted attempt to stomp on her cousin's toes in revenge before turning away to follow Delia and the professor up to the lab.

"We're visiting this lab, so you can't take whatever nap spots you find, you have to make sure it's allowed first, okay?" She murmured to Pangur Ban, kissing his furry cheek when he nodded amicably. It was so nice to be able to be certain that he understood her, becoming a Pokemon had really helped them bond more.

The nine year old stood back while the adults greeted each other once inside the building, giving Professor Juniper and her assistants a wave in greeting when introduced. Sitting at her side, Pangur Ban was already almost as tall as she was, practically the size of a Persian already. Juniper was quick to comment on his size, crouching down to greet the overgrown cat as Professor Oak chuckled and prompted Levy to explain how they met.

"You are just magnificent," the young professor declared, earning an even louder purr. "And such a good boy, looking after Levy! It must be like having a bodyguard," she added in an amused voice to the girl.

"He fusses too much, more like a furry nanny," Levy replied immediately, then squealed as her partner 'punished' her audacity by gently pushing her to the ground so he could groom her again, thereby proving her words.

Juniper laughed, then turned to Ash. "And I've already heard quite a bit about you from Samuel, Ash, I see your Pikachu is just as healthy as your cousin's Meowth."

"Of course, he is my partner, after all," Ash said, pleased.

Levy eyed the single Pokeball on his belt, wondering if it was worth it to bring up Pidgeot and how gorgeous she was, but ended up keeping silent, too shy around the strangers to speak up that much. She was just happy Ash had agreed to bring Pidgeot with them, because she'd asked the large Flying type to keep an eye on her cousin on his next journey. Levy certainly felt better knowing that Pidgeot would be able to catch Ash the next time he did something dumb and fell from a high altitude.

It wasn't much later that Trip showed up, and Levy couldn't help but scowl at his 'better than you' attitude. He only made the mistake of looking down on her once, before Pangur's menacing growl made the teen snap his mouth shut in the middle of his sentence about her and Ash being 'hicks'. Given the size of the Meowth's teeth, she didn't blame him.

As she had hoped, when Trip and Ash battled, Pikachu was on top his his game, and given the force even his non-electrical attacks had, Levy wondered if Zekrom's lightning would have affected the rest of the little mouse's body that badly, considering the difference from the anime she remembered and the battle she was watching now. The inexperienced Snivy didn't stand a chance, though it gave its best.

Trip, not quite as bad a sore loser as Levy had suspected, just scoffed, returning his new Snivy to its Pokeball with a soft mumble, but the way he rubbed his thumb over the metal surface let her know that at least he wasn't mad with his starter over the loss. And, as she had been expected, the battle against a Unovan Pokemon had been enough to kick Ash's wanderlust into gear again.

Back in the lab, he fidgeting for but a moment before announcing that he wanted to challenge the Unova League.

"You better call a lot," Levy said firmly, hiding a jolt as she realized, fully, that it would mean she wouldn't get to see her cousin for… who knew how long? She didn't have any real frame of reference for how long it took to travel a region and compete in its League Conference. The sudden, sharp pain in her chest came as a surprise, but she did her best to hide it.

She'd decided, shortly after she first met Ash, that she would not interfere any more than any concerned family member would (I.e; Pidgeot), and it wasn't like she could go with him anyways, only being nine and without her father's permission－Delia could only authorize so much, most of it educational and medical. And Levy had _known_ that this would happen, for all that she hadn't said anything.

Hand cupping her cheeks brought her back to the present, the first slip in awareness she'd had in a while. Ash smiled softly at her.

"Of course I'll call," he told her, and she silently cursed the fact that she was a child again, because her lower lip was wobbling despite how hard she tried to shove down the tears. "Hey, hey, it's okay. I promise, I'll call all the time. I'll even write letters, take pictures, anything you want, okay?"

Not trusting her voice, Levy just nodded, leaning into his hands first before throwing herself at him so she could bury her face in his chest. Her sobs were silent, as she'd learned long ago to keep them that way so as not to bother anyone.

Just how attached had she gotten, without ever noticing?

XxXxX

Ash curled his arms tighter around his cousin, heart sinking as he felt more than heard her crying. While he had expected her to be upset, he hadn't expected _this,_ and it was all the more heartbreaking now that he realized just how badly Levy's childhood had messed her up. Delia had told him about it, how the case worker and therapist had warned them that Levy would have a hard time handling separation once she'd warmed up to them.

After being isolated and neglected by the egg donor, she'd never had anybody to get attached _to_ until Pangur Ban, and then Ash, Delia, and Augustine－the latter of which hadn't hit Levy as hard because she spent the vast majority of her time with the former two. And she and Ash had become nigh inseparable.

What made it hurt Ash worse was that she had immediately tried to accept his choice and be supportive, despite how upset she was by it, but it still shook her so badly that she was shaking all over, pressing closely to him as if he would disappear at any moment. What hurt the most, though, was that Levy's sobs were silent.

Ash had seen people cry before. He cried over a number of things, himself, and he knew from experience that people only defaulted to silent crying when one, they didn't want anyone to know, or two, it had never been safe for them to make noise when they cried.

He had the sinking feeling it was the latter, for his little cousin.

Rubbing her back, he waved off his worried mother, and motioned for Pangur Ban and Pikachu to follow him into the next room over, to give them some privacy. Carrying Levy was as easy as ever, even clinging as tightly as she was.

"M'sorry," she mumbled into his shirt.

"No, no, it's okay. This was pretty sudden, I know, I'm sorry."

"S'fine," she replied, scrubbing at her eyes. "I know you like to travel, and if Auntie _could_ she'd sign to let me come with, but…"

"Just a few more years, and then I can take you _anywhere_," he vowed. "Anywhere you want, okay?"

The tears subsided to the odd sniffle, and with a flourish he pulled out a handkerchief, the overdone silliness getting a laugh out of his baby cousin, and thankfully once she had managed to stop crying she started to process better and started extracting promises for regular calls, letters, photos, and she wanted to see all his new Pokemon, too.

Arceus, he'd give Levy the world if she so much as hinted she wanted it. It was going to be a very rough few months away, though his instincts were torn between keeping Levy safe and happy and his natural wanderlust. But she noticed that too, smart little thing.

"You better do your best," she said sternly, wiping away the last remnants of her tears. "An' don't let your temper get the better of you like Tracey said you used to with Misty."

Shoot. He had hoped Tracey wouldn't share _that_.

But he took the 'order' with a smile, promising to watch himself for that, which, really, he should anyways, hearing it from Levy just made it more likely to happen. He took a few minutes more just to spoil her with one-on-one attention before picking her up again and carrying her back to the main room of the lab where everyone was waiting. It still took another few minutes of cuddling and forehead kisses to pass her off to Delia without more tears, but he'd rather give her the affection anyways.

Watch them leave stung, but from what the professor said the Unova League season was a short one, so he felt that it was the better of any of his options. At least until they could either get a hold of Uncle Lance or Levy turned ten.

XxXxX

It was more startling than anything, feeling as though the world had been ripped out beneath her feet, though logically Levy knew that it probably wouldn't be all that long until she saw her cousin again. And that by the time a few years had passed it would feel like no time at all. But the desperate tears that came later once they were back home in Pallet Town came suddenly, like a physical punch.

Much to Delia's concern she spent an entire three weeks just sulking over at the ranch, cuddled up with Pangur and all of Ash's Pokemon who had stayed behind. If she happened to rant for several collective hours about stupid far away Leagues and dumb laws that said she couldn't go to, well. Ash's Pokemon weren't saying anything.


	5. Fang and Claw - Ch 1

It was cold.

Dark, save for a faint glow coming from under the crack in the door, entirely too similar to her last memory before… before _that person_ had come in, eyes as blank and shiny as they had been for the duration of her time captive with him, leather straps in hand.

At the time, Nimue Henson had already known that she had already died. Could remember it, having already lost her arm to the sicko who had then gone and _sold_ it, left her strung up and bleeding through the bandages. Let her watch, still in pain and shock, as another man had come to the decrepit building and handed over a bundle of cash for the bag with her _prepared arm_.

Her captor hadn't thought it through, or maybe hadn't cared if she was alive still before… _harvesting_ the rest of her. She had bled out, dizzy and nauseous and knowing that no one would be able to find her. The nut job had grabbed her on a mid-morning jog and she was scheduled off for the week after that day, it would be a while yet before anyone thought to look for her. By then it was definitely too late.

She remembered feeling her body shut down, feeling everything fade away, until there'd been a… a _tug_ of some sort. Dragging her so quickly through the darkness that parts of her had been left behind until she was stuffed into something too small, too wrong, and the rest of her snapped back into place only just then.

Something was wrong because she still had both arms, and she was too small.

It took a while for it to sink in that somehow, she'd been reincarnated. Well, given that a uniformed woman bust through the wall with what looked like a miniature rhinoceros, blinding her with the sudden light, and letting out a shriek upon seeing her, she could hardly be blamed for just going into shock and staying there. The days after that passed in a blur, being shuffled through a hospital, seeing weird yet familiar animals everywhere, a parade of people in office wear.

Maybe they tried talking to her, but to be frank she had just zoned the fuck out and was nowhere near willing to come back for the time being.

So yeah, it took her a while to realize that a) those were fucking _Pokemon_, and b) she'd actually been found in an abandoned house that had been scheduled for demolition after the owners had abruptly moved. And according to the snippets that had eventually permeated the fog in her brain, the owners had been her parents, who were abusive fucks that now had a warrant out for their arrest. She had been plopped into a foster home after being treated for a variety of recently scabby wounds on her arms and torso, and had been there for the past three months.

It became clear to the 'adults' (_she __**was**__ a fucking adult, thanks)_ that she was not responding well to the well-off couple's house, as every time she saw the gray curtains she dissociated visibly (which was, she allowed, exceptionally disturbing to see an apparent seven year old go through) and she also had fainting episodes every time she so much as saw the glint of something metal.

Given that she couldn't remember anything from this 'new life', she had tentatively assumed that it was PTSD from how she'd died the first time around. Which. Sucked, so there was that. She was also emotionally shut down 24/7 which was great for basic robot functioning and snark but frankly awful for everything else.

They kept calling her Euphimia, which she gathered was this life's name.

Honestly, she hated it. The nut job had already taken her arm and her life, why the fuck should she let anyone else take from her, especially her name?! But no, clearly the '_child_' was just lashing out with her 'demand' to be called Nimue.

Needless to say she did not get on well with the foster parents, who gave her up just a couple months later. Good riddance. She just wanted someplace to be left alone to process without having to tiptoe around the presence of nosy would-be puppeteers. And men. The following bouncing around between group homes and foster families that gave her back a couple months in was hardly conducive to getting her bearings.

Worst of all, winter had come in harsh and the cold made her scars ache fiercely, with a bonus round of sharp and deep needle-like stabs of pain that went on for hours if she wasn't kept warm enough. As if the phantom pain in her arm where it had been cut off in her previous life wasn't bad enough.

Nimue alternated between total dissociation and distant wariness. She'd been snatched once with no way to escape, she didn't want it to happen again. The case workers just didn't seem to know what to do with her, and only succeeded in making themselves look incompetent－given the conditions she'd been found in, what the hell did they expect? Her to blissfully forget being trapped in the dark alone, apparently left to die after being physically injured and locked in a basement?

She didn't want any of this. Had never asked to be reincarnated into another shitty situation, to be forced into the body of a child.

XxXxX

Cadenza Rosswith took the offered file folder with a frown, listening to her old friend give her a brief summary of Circhester Town's blatant mishandling of their most recent ward of the region. While she had resigned after her own disastrous last case－poor Victor, she should have seen the signs, she was _trained_ for it, for Arceus' sake…－she still resurfaced every now and then to advise. But this…

"They didn't even put a note of recommended therapy, after confirming the abuse? What the bloody hell kind of case workers are they hiring?" She demanded, appalled.

"That's about how the board felt," Evan sighed. "And that's why I'm asking you to foster her. Kid needs somewhere stable even if you don't get along. Don't think the lass has even spoke other than to request people call her Nimue."

"That's a lovely name," Cadenza mused, flipping through the medical files and scowling at the sheer number of pages. "Of course I'll take her. The quiet of Postwick should do her good, and the locals know to leave people be when they obviously just want to have time to themselves. Let the matron know I'll come pick her up this weekend, that gives me time to move everything out of the guest room and into storage."

The elderly man grinned, relieved for the girl's sake. Cadenza would take care of her.

XxXxX

Studying the slip of a girl that had been directed into the matron's office, Cadenza shot the woman a dark look. The child was dressed in little more than am oversized sweater, no socks, no shoes, and quite possibly no underthings. No wonder Nimue didn't want to 'cooperate', the gits couldn't take care of a Magikarp!

"I do hope you realize this will be going on record," she near snarled at the rapidly paling woman, before forcibly calming herself and turning to the girl. "Hello, miss Nimue. Given the conditions here, it's been decided that I will be your next legal guardian. I live in Postwick, its a quiet town with a lot of space－something I suspect you are in dire need of."

The appraising glint in the girl's eyes was gone as soon as it appeared. "Yes."

Lips quirking up at the corners, Cadenza nodded. "Then let's be off. Have you any belongings to bring? No? Well that will change soon enough. Have you ever ridden in a Flying Taxi? It's a rather fascinating experience, though I'm afraid my eyesight has gone south enough that I can't quite make out all the details I used to. Though I do recommend the back window, it gives the best view."

The idle chat－carefully worded so as not to treat the girl like a child－had Nimue relaxing somewhat, if not actively engaging. Still, it was a good response given her situation.

The next few weeks gave Cadenza a far better idea of what she was dealing with. For all she was only eight years old, Nimue had been forced to mature rapidly and significantly. One could not treat her like a child, because Nimue was fully capable of understanding the things that had landed her here, the implications of how it would affect the rest of her life, and was by no means blind to the more subtle or hidden faces of humans.

Nimue needed to be allowed to be independent (though phrasing it that way would no doubt destroy what little trust Cadenza had earned), needed to _not_ be coddled or talked over. So Cadenza obliged, making sure to discuss any decisions that involved Nimue, even ones as simple as asking her opinion on what they should cook during the week. Only the most basic of rules were implemented, essentially 'be a decent person and leave a note if you go out so if I _need _to find you I can, also the Slumbering Weald is off limits to literally everyone'.

So Cadenza made sure Nimue had proper clothes, food, and let her go off exploring the fields around the town, observing carefully without coming across as nosy. It was clear that the girl did better when given time to sort things out on her own, because five months into living with her Nimue approached of her own accord and quietly asked for the therapist she had mentioned would be willing to meet with her if ever she wanted. With weekly appointments, the next few months slowly showed Nimue getting a little more social－not much, but she would willingly talk with Cadenza now without actually 'needing' anything.

The observations began to yield different results. Long silvery hair that had once been only brushed was now beginning to make its way up into ponytails and buns, short strands artfully slipping free. Honey brown eyes were more alert, in motion, brighter than before. Tanned skin, while not put on display, was no longer religiously covered in hoodies and large sweatshirts. Aside from when it rained, of course, poor dear had one hell of a time dealing with the aches her injuries loved to inflict her with in the wet or cold.

But the stubborn girl didn't let the pain stop her from trudging outside and making her way to the fields. Nimue preferred the wide open spaces much more than being indoors, and in Cadenza's personal opinion the many adorable Wooloo were half the reason the girl was healing so well. There was just something about the fluffy, sweet little Pokemon that made it hard to be sad.

XxXxX

Nimue had a hard time denying the Wooloo anything. She'd always been a sucker for a sweet face, and Wooloo were the definition of a sweet face. Even the dreadful little brat that liked to hang out by the fence and roll itself into it until the timbers fell apart. As far as getting adjusted to Pokemon went, the fluffy sheep were the easiest ones she had seen around, as they were the closest to a regular animal. That they responded to the old kulning melodies just as well as the cows on her grandparents farm had.

She hadn't sung those songs in a long time; using them on the Wooloo was bittersweet, though the hurt softened a little as the months went on. At least the fluffy herds seemed to appreciate the sounds of an art her nana had insisted on passing down－and did Nimue ever regret not listening to her nana and staying on the farm instead of heading into the city for work.

But what was done was done. What she had now was an okay place to stay and a lot of places to explore, even if she was barred from the forbidden forest. And she was living in the world of Pokemon. Because yeah, sure, that fucking made sense.

In any case, when the Wooloo led her places, she followed. This time they gathered round and gently nudged her across several of the fields bordering the town and over to where she could hear somebody enthusiastically narrative some sort of battle fantasy, a Wooloo staring up at him and occasionally making happy sheep noises.

Vaguely recognizing him as one of the characters from the Galar-based game she had only gotten two Gyms into in her past life, Nimue couldn't help but snort when the boy fist pumped but over balanced and toppled over with a squawk. Upon hearing her he scrambled to his feet, grinning sheepishly.

"Oh, hi, didn't see you there!"

"Hi," she returned, amused despite herself. If she hadn't had white hair herself she would have wondered if the boy's vibrant purple locks were natural. After a moment she decided to spare the kid's pride. "Image training for when you're a trainer?"

"Image training?" He blinked at her in utter confusion.

"Ah… it's where you mentally run through different scenarios and map out different reactions or plans. Its a visualization exercise, like imagination meditation." That was… child-like enough logic, right.

"Oh! Y-yeah, something like that. Me'n Wooloo here were just planning ahead for when we can do the Gym Challenge!"

"Sounds fun," she offered, wobbling slightly as one of the local Wooloo nudged her leg. "What, you puffball? I thought you just wanted me to some see what they were doing?"

"That's a lot of… oh! Oh, you must be the girl Miss Rosswith brought back, my mum kept saying there was a new girl that could get all the herds to stay out of trouble!" The boy exclaimed. "I'm Hop, what's your name?"

"... Nimue." Come to think of it, she hadn't exactly hung around the town itself, just the house and the fields. Mostly because she was still leery of adult and teen men, but Hop here was barely taller than she was and a beanpole besides. She could take him. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too! Mind telling me how you do it? Even my Wooloo likes to get up to mischief every now and then."

"... Kulning. It's… a 'herding call', something about the pitch catches their attention."

Hop's golden eyes blazed with interest. "Really? I've never heard of that, can you show me?"

Averting her gaze, she caught sight of the edges of the herd, predictably already wandering to the limits of her vision. "I don't see why not."

Her voice swung up into the high tones of the first kulning she'd ever learned, sitting on her nana's knee on the back porch. The Wooloo around her surged, pressing closer and staring up at her with their big round eyes while the ones farther off turned back towards the sound. Pitch rising and falling with the few syllables of the call, she cupped her hands to aim the sound better for the ones still on the far edges of the field.

Soon enough they came trotting back over, the picture of obedience but really probably just curious about the noise. Still, it worked every time, and when she stopped the herd was gathered fully around them. Rolling her eyes at the wriggling, overgrown cotton balls, Nimue sighed.

"Alright, back to the field proper we go. You can walk with us if you like, these guys seem to just like having something to do."

Hop was staring at her, eyes wide, but at her words he scrambled closer. "Yes! That was so cool, I've never heard any songs like that, it was like－like－" He couldn't seem to find the words to express himself, so substituted with vague hand gestures.

Laughing softly, she decided to take it as a compliment. Her small group of school friends in the city had thought the kulning pretty cool, but kids were more genuinely interested. Guiding the Wooloo back through the bushes they'd led her through in the first place, she occasionally sung out some scattered high, swooping notes to keep them all close. In between those, she responded to Hop's chattering and the odd question.

It went rather well, up until they were walking back into town, and Hop asked why she was living with Miss Rosswith.

"Mm… my parents locked me in the basement, sold the house, and left me to die," she deadpanned, mood sinking like a rock in a pond. Turning on her heel, she stalked back over to Cadenza's house, only feeling slightly guilty for dropping that on Hop, who was actually a child. She'd apologize later, when she wasn't relapsing into flashbacks of the nasty building she'd had her arm chopped off in－_it was still there, she had two arms, but before that she didn't_－and flinching at the phantom pain.

XxXxX

Cadenza grimaced at the look on Talia's face. Her neighbor had practically flew across the road when she'd spotted Cadenza heading out to the market, and, given the way Nimue had locked herself in her room for the past two days, she had a feeling she knew what it was.

"Don't give me that look, Denzie, I know the girl didn't mean to snap at my boy. He knows he just asked the wrong question."

"Oh, good, I wasn't sure exactly what happened but she hasn't come out of her room since."

"Given what she said about _why _she's living with you I don't blame her for being upset. I've already talked it over with Hop, he's more upset that he upset _her_, you know."

Sighing, Cadenza kept walking, her childhood friend turned neighbor falling into step alongside. "Hop's a good boy like that. And Nimue… she's gotten better but there's still a ways to go. I assume he told you, at least, what she said?"

"That her parents locked her up, sold the house, and left her for dead, yes. Bastards, if I ever got a hold of them…" Talia trailed off, but the threat stood. Cadenza didn't envy those two the fate that would befall them should Talia find them.

"Yes, well, you're gonna have to get in line. They beat her before leaving, she's got a number of nasty scars from it. Poor thing gets terrible aches in the wet and cold. And I don't know what her deal with Pokemon is－she doesn't mind the Wooloo, but she looks at Munchlax like he's going to bite her hand off. And we have no idea if her sperm and egg donor had Pokemon, if they used them to abuse her, or not," she scowled, flipping a strand of dark brown hair out of her face.

Crossing her arms, Talia mimicked the facial expression. "She hasn't asked for one of her own? Not even one of the Wooloo?"

"No, hasn't so much as hinted. Part of it might be that she doesn't even realize she _can_ have one, though… She hasn't had much exposure before."

"Hm… I wonder… Denzie, why don't you ask her if she would like one? If she doesn't want something local, it would hardly be any trouble to ask Leon to swing by the wild area and catch a little something to send over－he needs to come visit more anyways."

Cadenza blinked, then nodded slowly, adjusting her basket to her other arm. "It couldn't hurt to check with her, I suppose. Although it'll have to wait until she's no longer holed up in her room."

Although, given that this was the first time something of the sort had happened, she wasn't quite sure when that would be.

XxXxX

Hop blinked in surprise when he opened the door and got a basket shoved in his face. Just barely managing to catch it, he was even more surprised to see that it was Nimue in the doorway.

"Sorry for being rude the other day," she said, bags under her eyes and looking like she'd rather still be in bed.

"Oh! No, it's okay, I shouldn't have been so…" Stumbling over his words a bit, Hop shrugged helplessly. He'd been thinking about what she said that day ever since, and had been horrified by what Nimue's so-called parents had done. Nobody deserved that, and he found himself wanting to check up on her, because she should know that people cared about her. She seemed like a nice person, and that kulning thing was really cool!

"So we both could've handled it better. Anyways… there's cookies in that basket, for you and your mum. I think your mum talked to Cadenza, she was asking me about what I thought of Pokemon…"

"Are you going to get one? My brother got Wooloo for me, y'know, and there's a ton of different types even on the way to the train station if you want one."

"Maybe… I haven't really been around Pokemon before coming here, so I don't really know," she shrugged, and turned to go, but Hop wanted to get to know her better.

"Wait! Do you," he paused, then went ahead with the first thought that came to mind. "Do you want to come in? I have a lot of Leon's old trainer books, he has this one that shows all the Pokemon you can find in Galar, so you can see. Or we could just hang out?"

She stared at him for a long moment, then gave him a very small smile. "We can do that."

XxXxX

Talia heard a loud thump from upstairs, followed by shrieking laughter and not a little hollering, and grinned to herself. It had been nearly two years since Hop had befriended Nimue and now they were practically inseparable. Of course, that had translated to the two of them getting into all sorts of trouble, even with the girl's quick mind getting them out of it just as easily. But both kids had grown, pushing each other to become adventurous, kind, fairly responsible preteens.

Of course, there had been that one incident where Nimue had all but gone catatonic and Hop wasn't much better, and the both of them absolutely _refused_ to say anything about it once they'd come back to themselves, but whatever had happened had brought them closer than ever. In fact, that incident was why Hop had become almost overly protective over his friend.

That boy rarely left her side, and Talia and Cadenza were sure they were going to be joined at the hip all throughout their journey－because it was obvious to the women that those kids were going to attempt the Gym Challenge.

While Hop was determined to start with his Wooloo, Nimue had, surprisingly, decided that she wanted a Dragon type. Somehow, Leon's rival had heard about it (likely from Leon, who had been texted by Hop because the boy wanted to know what kind of Dragon type would be okay for a new trainer), and Raihan had actually flown over on his Flygon to present Nimue with a newly hatched Noibat.

Talia had seriously worried that Hop was going to jump the Gym leader, because Nimue had fallen head over heels for the little Noibat and struck up a friendship with Raihan that mostly consisted of a lot of pictures of their Pokemon and internet jokes over text. Her youngest son had been terribly put out by having to share his best friend's attention, it seemed.

By this point the resentment had faded to a light sulk every time Raihan's name came up, as Nimue adored her Pokemon partner. Noibat went _everywhere_ with her. In fact, if the spoiled little thing wasn't cuddled up in her arms, it was napping in her hood.

Sighing, Talia allowed herself a little sadness, as it was only a month or so away, the day that Leon had said he'd be bringing the two kids a present to send them off on their journey. Then both her kids would be off and out of the house! Leaving just her and Purloin… Goodness, the very thought. Ah, she'd just have to make sure Hop understood that _he_ did not have the excuse of being Champion yet to get out of regular visits!

XxXxX

Gently rubbing the soft purple fur of her Noibat's outer ears, Nimue frowned down at her phone. One of Raihan's new Pokemon had been attacked while they were out in the wild area, but the attacking Pokemon had been acting very strange, and seemed to be surrounded by a dark aura. He wouldn't say anything more about it, other than that the League was investigating, but she had her own suspicions.

Although what the _fuck_ shadow Pokemon were doing in Galar was another story altogether that she hoped was quickly solved. She wanted nothing to do with Any of That. Shaking her head, she glanced down at her partner, who was working his way through a bag of apple slices he had picked out himself.

Belphagor was definitely spoiled, though she really couldn't help it. He was just adorable, and those little chirps… ugh, she couldn't deny him a damn thing. As if sensing her thoughts, he 'purred' at her, the rumbling little growl he used to get himself out of trouble. Oddly enough, the one thing he matched his 'look I'm just an innocent little baby I'd never do anything wrong' routine with was how hard he worked in training. From what she could tell he'd be a right menace on the battlefield.

In any case, it looked like Raihan would be unavailable for questions on training, so she'd have to look elsewhere for tips on teaching Super Fang. Seeing as the Dreepy was with Hammerlocke's Nurse Joy, there wasn't anything she could actually do to help. Sighing at the thought－Dreepy had looked so adorable in the pictures her trainer had sent－Nimue instead resorted to crawling through the various trainer forums online. When that didn't yield any results better than what she already had, she set it aside.

"C'mon, Bel, let's go see Hop."

"Brr?"

"Yes you can bring your apples, greedy boy." Rolling her eyes at her Pokemon's resulting flailing for another bag of the sliced fruit, Nimue threw on her hoodie and slipped on some sandals. At this time of day, their best bet would be down by the small stream that curled around the far east corner of the pastures, and she needed her daily dose of Hop bad enough to force her tired limbs into a jog, despite the way the overcast sky and threat of rain made everything ache.


End file.
